Skip to main content

Timeline: A Visual History of our World

By


Timeline: A Visual History of Our World
by Peter Goes
Gecko Press, 2015. Informational.

History can be tricky. Young readers are awfully good at understanding isolated events or learning about individuals, but the full scope of our history can be (understandably) daunting. The most sweeping history books tend to be hulking, text-dense volumes that can leave a reader intimidated and discouraged.

Timeline shatters those notions. This is a book that covers the span of earth's history from the Big Bang to the rise of ISIS, but its greatest strength is its accessibility. Goes dominates his pages with illustrated material, depicting his timeline as a sort-of road on which events, creatures, and people unfold. Each page focuses on a time period, and explanatory text and captions appear organically along the images, curving with them in a seamless experience. The book also remains objective in its telling of history, but it doesn't shy away from the past's more challenging eras. Conflict and injustice are presented, given just as much emphasis as our triumphs.

Goes, a Belgian illustrator, does not offer editorial interjections on events, nor does he push a Eurocentric view of the world. North American history and Asian history and African history and all the rest are featured here, and Timeline acknowledges this grand scope -- human history, not simply one culture's story. The result is a book that accurately reflects our species' ability to grow ever better and closer while still acknowledging the work we've done and have yet to do.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Umami

By
  Umami By Jacob Grant New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book. Umami is a little penguin who is sick of eating the same thing everyday, cold fish --ugh! She becomes determined to find new foods and flavors, so Umami begins a journey across the sea in search of something different to eat. She reaches a place with a plethora of delicious options, and tries bitter, sweet, sour, and foods with umami (just like her name!) among others. Umami decides to bring all these delicious new flavors back for the other penguins to try in a feast. But, will the other penguins enjoy this new experience?  Filled with charm and humor, Umami is a diverse romp through a universal experience --am I willing to try something new? What will it be like? The idea of trying new foods and flavors make it especially relatable, and the appealing illustrations will have many readers ready to hop out on a culinary adventure. A humorous and sweet ending, caps off this delig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Faker

By
Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Faves: Picture Books with Festive Treats

By
In my family, December marks the beginning of the holiday season, where we get to spend time together and do all of our favorite traditions. And, of course, eat lots of yummy food. I love that holidays look different for different families, but so many families have special foods they eat during the holidays. These are some of my favorite picture books about families making (and eating!) special holiday treats. These books might even give you new ideas of festive treats to try! The Last Tamale Written by Mendiola Orlando Illustrated by Teresa Martinez New York: Harper, 2024. Picture Book. Once a year, Luis' whole family gets together for their annual tamalada -- a party where they make tamales using a super-secret recipe. It's all love, family, and tradition until there is only one tamale left. Who will get it? It's an all-out family battle to decide who gets the last tamale. Colorful and humorous, this story is perfect for the holidays or whenever your family likes to enjo...
Post a Comment
Read more