Rome [Hardcover]

Andrew Solway (Author), Stephen Biesty (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Rome

Million-copy best-selling creator of the "Incredible Cross-Sections" series now brings his talent to a new challenge: Ancient Rome.

"Rome in a Day" is set in 128 AD, on a festival day and follows one day in the life of a father and his 9-year-old son, Titus Cotta Maximus, as they spend a public holiday together in ancient Rome.

Spend the day with father and son as they awake and breakfast in their home; make their way down to the busy streets; follow the procession to the Temple of Jupiter; take in the game at the Colosseum; conduct some family business at the busy docks; relax at the Baths of Trajan; and watch the races at the Circus Maximus before returning home at the end of the evening. A very full day!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-7-How can an illustrator convey "the glory that once was Rome" to modern children when dealing with a landscape of weathered columns and wisteria? In City (Houghton, 1974), David Macaulay draws viewers in through carefully rendered close-ups of a fictitious, ancient site in the planning and design stages, brick by brick. These detailed cutaways and cross-sections deconstruct. Here, Biesty exposes the underground passages of the Colosseum, the bull being sacrificed in the Temple of Jupiter, the lack of privacy in the public restrooms, and the activity in both a wealthy politician's home and in a street scene. Life at the docks, baths, races, and Forum is interpreted by a cast of thousands and with touches of humor. The text consists of a brief narrative for each spread as it describes a festival-day routine through the movements of a senator and his son. Numerous labels, packed with information, are connected to the colorful panoramas. There is no bibliography, but the facts and re-creations are consistent with authoritative sources. Further fun awaits youngsters in the hands-on activities in Philip Steele's Step into the Roman Empire (Lorenz, 1997) and the characters and adventures in Caroline Lawrence's "Roman Mysteries" series (Roaring Brook).
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. This oversize book of cross-sections is a visually intriguing, reader-friendly introduction to ancient Rome. Set up to follow a day in the life of a well-to-do young boy, Titus Cotta Maximus, this introduces a number of subjects as it transports children to a variety of places--the Colosseum, a festival, the docks, the chariot races, and Titus' own house. Each two-page spread, introduced by a short introductory paragraph, covers a different topic, with minutely detailed, informatively captioned illustrations of people and places (panoramic views as well as views from above, from the side, even from behind the scenes) that bustle with activity. They are loaded with the stuff of daily life--gladiators, buildings, food, even a tiny toilet with a little man perched on it. Fun, fascinating, and informative, this sometimes humorous envisioning of Roman civilization is ideal for browsers and for visual learners alike. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Reference (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439455464
• ISBN-13: 978-0439455466
• Product Dimensions: 13.8 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #919,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely one of Biesty's best, October 15, 2003

By 

bensmomma "bensmomma" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rome (Hardcover)

Lots of parents will be familiar with Stephen Biesty's "Cross-Sections" series, in which he provides wonderfully detailed cutaway drawings of famous old buildings and the like (e.g., ocean liners, spaceships, cathedrals, etc.). I really think this is one of the best of the series, too.

Previously our favorite was "Stephen Biesty's Man-of-War," which detailed life on a Napoleonic-era battleship. That one provided such good information that even an adult reading an old Horatio Hornblower novel could use it as a reference book.

Likewise, "Rome" depicts the main buildings and neighborhoods of Rome, maintaining a narrative about a young boy of noble family, Titus, as he investigates his native city.

An absolute must for any child or adult interested in ancient history or trying to become interested!

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Cool for the right kind of reader, January 11, 2012

By 

Will Riddle "and Jaime Riddle" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rome (Paperback)

This is a really great book for the right kind of reader... the kind of kid who likes diagrams with captions, or comic books, or pages with lots of detail. A kid who likes MacCaulay's books on City or Castle. "How Things Work" or DK, or Usborne spreads with lots of text boxes to read. This one ranks right up there with tons of detail on different Roman structures--house, temple, Colosseum, etc. And not just engineering detail, but social-economic tidbits too.

So if you have one of those kids who won't read a chapter book but can spend hours looking at tidbits in a manual or picture, this will be right up their alley.

5.0 out of 5 stars History and fun!, October 29, 2011

By 

Don F. Erwin "earlyflyer" (Amherst, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rome (Hardcover)

Our kids love to look through these books to see if they can find the toilet in each picture! We talk about the pictures and they (we) learn things without realizing it!