(3) 4-6 Wonders of the World series. Illustrated by Alan Witschonke. Shah Jahan, fifth emperor of India's Mughal dynasty, built the Taj Mahal as a setting for his wife's tomb. An extraordinary architectural phantasmagoria of bejeweled ornament and symmetrical gardens, it expressed the emperor's idea of an earthly paradise. In this book, vibrant illustrations and art reproductions illustrate the Taj's magnificence while clear text tells its story. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Wonders of the World series. Illustrated by Alan Witschonke. The Empire State Building, which opened in 1931, was the culmination of New York's great skyscraper boom and remained the world's tallest building until 1972. The concisely written text follows the design and construction of the building and explores its early social significance. The book is illustrated with archival photos, color art, and a handsome three-page foldout of the completed structure. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Wonders of the World series. Illustrated by Tom McNeely. Tracking several hundred years of history, Mann keenly explores the Mayan city of Tikal, which flourished in the Yucatan Peninsula during the first millennium C.E. Profusely illustrated with boldly colored paintings, the text discusses Mayan advances in math and language, the Mayan penchant for war and sacrificial bloodletting, and the mysterious disappearance of this once thriving civilization. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 Wonders of the World series. Illustrated by Alan Witschonke. Strong on the symbolism of the Hoover Dam ("its dedication meant that the hard times were really over") but weaker on human contributions, the text nonetheless offers a clear explanation of the planning, purpose, construction, and social conditions that influenced the building of the dam. Archival photos complement sidebar oral histories. Diagrams clearly show the inside workings of the dam, allowing readers a virtual tour of the site. Ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2002

(3) 4-6 Wonders of the World series. Illustrated by Amy Crehore. In this look at Machu Picchu, the Incan city built in the 1400s between two Andes mountain peaks, Mann speckles a straightforward account of the rise and fall of the Incan people with appreciation for the city's architecture. The book is illustrated with luminous full-page (including one gatefold) paintings showing the polygonal stones painstakingly handcrafted by stonemasons, two color photographs, and a map. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram