You Wouldn't Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice!

Another funny yet useful book that teaches children about history that is part of the "You wouldn't want to be" series. The illustrations are comical but hardly accurate. I don't believe the illustrators intent was historical accuracy but rather to capture the funny bone and imagination of the young student. The big noses may be offensive to some racial sensitive types but if you go beyond that the book is quite good. The illustrations remind me of those that can be found in Mad which was a favorite of mine as a child. This particular book has many outstanding illustrations to compliment the written details of Aztec life. The gruesome topic of human sacrifice is dealt with with humor. This book is a good introduction to Aztec life but you wouldn't want to be a Aztec sacrifice unless you don't mind going through some rather dreadful scenes. In the end your spirit may become a butterfly and everyone will admire your beauty. A good learning tool for teachers and students alike, this book is recommended for K-6 and community libraries.

Humorous treatment of a ghastly subject...this is our first encounter with the You Wouldn't Want To... Series. You Wouldn't Want to be an Aztec Sacrifice: Gruesome Things You'd Rather Not Know is an over the top cartoonish, yet factual and upfront look at the history of Aztec sacrifice told as if YOU were there...the one being sacrificed to the Gods! This wonderful book has an introduction that gives some basic background on the Rise of the Aztec civilization, including an inset map showing the location (handy for young readers) and then a progression of chapters starting with how you would have lived (being an Aztec noble), paying tribute, being captured in a "flower battle" (nothing to do with actual flowers, heh), the long walk through the desert to the Aztec capital, how sacrifices were chosen, and goes into exactly what happens as the day of sacrifice approaches. This is a ghastly subject that is given a humorous spin, yet still manages to tell the whole story, loaded with interesting facts and tidbits about life in Mesoamerica! Each two page spread features a main narrative in addition to a set of "photo" illustrations along the bottom or side with additional information and in the top right hand corner, each has a "handy hint" to help you along the way...these hints include advice like "make an offering to the city's guardian god - he might protect you from the Aztecs" (offered on the page where the Aztecs are coming for the tribute payments or "Always keep plenty of obsidian (volcanic glass) for weapon blades. If danger threatens you won't have time to climb the volcano to get more!" Overall, I love the format and humor used to deal with a subject that might otherwise be hard to effectively teach to kids without it becoming really depressing and/or for those subjects that never seem PC, but still really, really need to be taught. I give it five stars and recommend it as part of a larger reading set on the Aztec, after your child(ren) reads some other books on the culture and history of these Mesoamericans!! Excellent text, lots of humor, and the illustrations really bring the message home and include their own humor...they really make the story!

The series "You Wouldn't Want To Be..." is the best I've seen for children and for adults. I am teacher and I love them for myself as well. They are short, accurate and have the best color illustrations. Get them all. I love this one on the Aztecs. It is gory but good.