Children’s Library: ‘A Street Through Time’
January 15, 2012, Epoch Times
From the Stone Age to modern times—a stunning primer on history
One street. Twelve-thousand years.
Author Dr. Anne Millard and illustrator Steve Noon brilliantly bring to life 14 historical ages of mankind in stunning detail and impressive simplicity within a mere 32 pages in the children’s nonfiction standout “A Street Through Time.”
This striking picture book presents a panoramic view of one singular street along a river and its inhabitants and changes over time. Beginning with the Stone Age, “A Street Through Time” advances through the Iron Age, Roman Times, Medieval Times, The Plague, and more, up to the modern age.
The book’s wording is simple. A general description is given for each period. “Hundreds of years pass. People have now found out how to smelt iron to make better tools and weapons. The village has prospered, but there are battles with neighboring tribes, who are fierce rivals.” Supplemental details about the people depicted on the “street” are described around the perimeter of the singular illustration for each age.
The book jacket reads, “the more you read, the more you’ll see,” and right that is. The illustrations span the length of two extra-wide pages and feature the establishments of the people of each era and the bustling activity taking place therein with the help of informative labels.
“A Street Through Time” offers elements that will fascinate a curious preschooler as well as an advanced reader (or adult, for that matter). Readers will return again and again to pour over the elaborate depiction of each historical age. The words present easy to understand basics of history and the illustrations invite the curious mind to explore and delve deeper.
Another home run from DK Publishing, “A Street Through Time” would befit the top shelf of any child’s library.
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