The Babylonians (The Cradle of Civilization) [Library Binding]

Elaine Landau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997 | Age Level: 9 and up

Examines the history of the Babylonian empire and the evolution of its society, including the progressive legal code of Hammurabi, the development of valuable trade routes, and contributions in art, science, and other areas.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-7--Useful, solid information for report writers. Each of these titles introduces the history and culture of an empire that was influential in the development of Mesopotamia. They all begin with the same chapter describing the prehistoric tribal origins that led to the rise of more powerful, organized city-states and cultures during the early history of the Middle East. Subsequent chapters focus on the rise and ultimate demise of the specific empire. The texts are lucid, smoothly written, and easy to understand. Large type; open pages; and frequent use of maps, full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations of artifacts and architecture enhance the readability and usefulness of these titles. Topics covered include daily life and customs of different classes; social roles; notable rulers and their accomplishments; advances made in law, the arts, agriculture, and sciences; and factors leading to the decline of that empire. A good complement to these books is Clarice Swisher's The Ancient Near East (Lucent, 1995), which does a commendable job of tying these Mesopotamian cultures together, giving readers better insight into the development of early Middle Eastern civilization up to the conquest by Alexander the Great.

Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761302166
• ISBN-13: 978-0761302162
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Children's Books > History > Middle East

More About the Author

I'm a children's book author and writing coach who loves both children and books. I've never been much of a fiction fan, I've spent my time both reading and writing nonfiction. I live in tropical Miami with my husband and son who are nonfiction lovers as well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Babylonian Better--Much Better!, May 8, 2000

By 

Donna - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Babylonians (The Cradle of Civilization) (Library Binding)

The Babylonians was a big improvement over the other two books written by Elaine Landau in this series, Cradles of Civilization. The other books are The Sumerians and The Assyrians. There was much more detail and the work flowed better in The Babylonians. It kept the children's attention better.

There are 14 illustrations including one map, photos of artifacts, photos of present day sites related to the Babylonians, and several colored drawings. Considering this is written for 9-12 year olds, there are not many illustrations.

There is other information about their way of life that is interesting. Topics covered include Hammurabi and his rule plus his legal code, Kassite rule, the Elamite and Assyrian plundering of Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar II's rise to power (spelled Nebuchadrezzar II in the book?).

The type is slightly larger with large space between lines and wide margins. It is easy on the eyes for children to read.

The text on the first five pages in the three Landau books is virtually the same. The only major difference is the map is changed for whichever topic--Sumerians, Assyrians, or Babylonians--is being covered. The map is well done, however, not all locations are shown. While the Kassites and Elamites are discussed, their place of origin is not shown on the map. Neither are the Zagros Mountains labeled.

Paging starts on page 11, text through page 50, timeline text of Important Dates pp. 51-52 (not facing pages), Notes p. 53 (bibliography?), Glossary pp. 55-56 (no pronunciation information though), Further Reading p. 57, and Index pp. 59-61 (nice touch). So for a 64-page book there is only 39 pp. of text, and the format is smaller than usual, too.

This book, with fewer pages, actually seemed more coherent than the other two books in the series. Because the cultures do interact with each other, I think it might have been better to publish a combined text.

Overall, this book was much better written. This isn't just my opinion either--my 9 and 11 yr olds said the same thing when I asked their opinion of all three books. I still would vote for combining some of The Assyrians and The Sumerians into the main text of this book!