(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 Illustrated by Tom McNeely. Smooth, focused prose narrates the story of Cabeza de Vaca, second in command of a Spanish expedition to seek gold in the New World in 1527. From near Tampa Bay, Cabeza de Vaca began an eight-year journey to Mexico City, during which he interacted peacefully with native tribes. A foldout map is included, as well as sidebars with passages from Cabeza de Vaca's own writings. Paintings in brown hues illustrate the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Photographs by Michael Collier. In this description of how a canyon is formed, a free verse poem and full-page color photos of the Colorado River and its tributaries provide a lyrical account of erosion. The verse is occasionally awkward ("and with mallets of masses of pebbles / and with sandy razors of silt / it carves out the stone"), yet it and the exquisitely clear, often aerial photos manage to convey the grandeur of geological processes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(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

(4) 4-6 Great Explorers series. Illustrated by Tom McNeely. In this biography of the French explorer who attempted to become the first European to navigate the Mississippi River, La Salle's weaknesses (aloofness to his men) as well as his strengths (courage and determination) are revealed. The text is lengthy but reads well; the paintings are detailed, if somewhat static; and a foldout map enables readers to follow along easily. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Great Explorers series. Illustrated by Tom McNeely. Lush watercolor illustrations and a regal design add drama to the story of Vasco da Gama's voyage in 1497 from Portugal to India and back again. Goodman tells the story with flair and balance, emphasizing the bravery and resilience of da Gama and his crew without failing to address his use of violence to gain control of the competitive spice trade. Ind.

Reviewer: Mary R. Holt

(4) YA Recalling a childhood in which she was separated from her parents and moved from one hiding place to another to evade the Nazis, Jacobsen's memoir is fragmentary in structure and distant in tone; the most haunting sections describe her family's post-war experiences. The author-artist's own dark and disturbing collage illustrations will probably be most appreciated by adults.

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

(4) 4-6 Great Explorers series. Illustrated by Fernando Rangel. Recounting each of the four voyages Henry Hudson undertook in hopes of discovering the Northwest Passage, the book presents a clear, if undramatic, overview of the explorer's accomplishments and sad fate. Excerpts from the diaries of Hudson and some of his shipmates accompany the text, which is illustrated with occasionally static full-page paintings. A complete list of Hudson's crew is included. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta