Reviewed with Joann Jovinelly's The Crafts and Culture of the Aztecs.
Gr. 5-8. Most of what historians, anthropologists, and scholars know about ancient societies comes from historical documents, but there's also much information to be found in art. Books in the new Crafts of the Ancient World series use crafts to reinforce introductory information on the daily life, language, culture, art, beliefs, and warfare of ancient societies. After kids read about rituals and celebrations, for example, they'll find step-by-step instructions, simple diagrams, and photographs to help them construct a mosaic mask from modeling clay, newspaper, and glue; after reading about clothing, they can construct "Hebrew Sandals" from cardboard and twine. The crafts are fairly simple and most supplies will be readily available, making this not only an informative series but also an accessible one. A time line, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading conclude each volume. Use these to supplement and support history or social studies. Heather Hepler
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