I Feel Like I'm in Pompeii ~ Kids can experience this ancient city too!
by - Written: Sep 28 '08
Product Rating:
Pros: Beautiful, intricate drawings, a strong and resourceful text, great learning experience
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: Check out this book, or buy it from your bookstore. Each time I pick it up, I learn something new that I have never seen before. Five stars, definitely!
jenniferkateab's Full Review: Richard Platt - Pompeii
My daughter and I recently read Richard Platt's Pompeii (Through Time), an illustrated guide to the city written for 8-12 year old students (but appropriate for any age, I think). We were both fascinated by the book, as we had the amazing opportunity to visit the ruins of Pompeii together a few years earlier. Richard Platt's Pompeii would make an excellent addition to any library or child's collection. My daughter was so taken by the book, what follows are her impressions of the volume in her own words (edited with some of my own observations, too). She has been honing her writing skills for several years, now, and as the intended audience for the book, brings a valuable perspective.
Have you ever had a chance to see Pompeii up close, with all the ruins and everything? Well, I have. And here I am, your tour guide, taking you on a tour through the book: Pompeii (Through Time).
Some of you may be wondering, What is Pompeii? Pompeii is a very old city dating back to 750 B.C. (before Christ). It is a city which experienced a strong, and horrible condition: the famous volcano, Italy's Vesuvius, erupted over everyone and everything. You can learn even more about Pompeii 's fate by reading the book yourself, so I won't spoil all the details!
The Contents of Pompeii (Through Time):
Learn all about where Pompeii is located, what events happened on a "Pompeii timeline", and a brief version of the explosion.
A Humble Hut: Take a quick peek at what a native's hut and farmlands look like, and what the family did for a living.
Farms and Crafts: Explore the various crafts the natives did and how they worked on the land.
The Town Develops: Explains about how Pompeii grew, and what some stores and houses look like, with many pictures of natives to look at.
The House Prospers: Read on to find out about the houses these people built, what is going on inside the house, and what the buildings really looked like. We saw the remains of these buildings, which have been dug out from the ashes that covered them. The frescoes on the walls were vividly colored and beautiful to behold! In fact, the treasures in these houses were preserved by the ashes.
Inside the Atrium: First of all, what is an atrium? And what goes on inside? Read to find out!!
The City Under Attack: Picture yourself in your home, feeling completely helpless during a volcano eruption, with ash raining down everywhere!
* These are just a few of the 18 different topics in the book! * Here are some more chapters that interested me:
After the war, A growing city, the house at its peak, A banquet, the earthquake, after the earthquake, the eruption, a buried city, forgotten Pompeii, treasure hunters, studying the ruins, and romantic ruins today.
The Book Jacket and Pictures
I think the book jacket is very detailed and artistic ~ the illustrator, Manuela Cappon must have taken a lot of time creating it. The artwork is colorful and intricate, and explains so much about the ancient city and its inhabitants. I personally love the artwork, and think it's my favorite part of the book, so I award five stars for it! When you are looking at pages in the book where houses are drawn, you'll see the roofs of the houses are opened up, so it's possible to see what's is inside them, which personally I think is very cool.
What else is inside?
Mostly, there are birds-eye view drawings showing the scene from overhead. But in any case, you get an up-close and personal look at Pompeii. Also, next to many objects and actions, you can read a short caption in bold, black letters, explaining what the object is or what is happening. I find this very helpful, too. The book includes an index, table of contents, and glossary. This is an exceptional book!
Whom should I read Pompeii with?
I was able to read it on my own, but it would be a great book to read together with your son or daughter. It is an awesome book which provides a rich learning experience about an ancient city whose existance was tragically cut short. I also recommend this book for read aloud at school, or for a group project!
What really happened to Pompeii, and is it still here today?
You can visit the remains of Pompeii, though it is not in the same shape as it was many, many years ago. It is located in Italy. I've been there before, and it is so cool to walk on the cobblestone streets, and see many amazing ancient ruins. Because Vesuvius erupted, everything is a bit charred and faded, but otherwise, I loved it there. Be sure to visit it someday!
=================================== Pompeii (Through Time) Author: Richard Platt Hardcover: 48 pages Publisher: Kingfisher; 1 edition (September 15, 2007) ISBN-10: 0753460440 ISBN-13: 978-0753460443 Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.5 x 0.5 inches ===================================
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