The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China
Grade 4-6-When three farmers, digging a well in a field near Xi'an,  China, unearthed a pottery head, they were completely unaware of  the magnitude of their discovery. As archaeologists began to  excavate the site, they found an entire army of life-sized  pottery soldiers of every rank, horses, chariots, weapons-an  army fit for an emperor. In lively fashion, this handsome book  recounts the story of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, who  ordered the army's construction to ensure that he remain safe  and powerful if his quest for unending life was unsuccessful. As  the excellent colorful photographs make clear, none of the  soldiers look alike. Their costumes reflect their rank, and  their faces probably resemble the people with whom the many  potters were acquainted. O'Connor also speculates on the  contents of the Emperor's tomb, which at present has not been  excavated. Like Caroline Lazo in her somewhat longer book The  Terra Cotta Army of Emperor Qin (Macmillan, 1993), O'Connor has  done a credible job in telling the story of this important  archaeological treasure. An essay about her research process is  included, but specific references and footnotes are missing. One  can also quibble with some minor points-why, for example, does  she refer to these life-sized statues as "figurines," and why  does she say nothing about why China has chosen to leave Qin's  tomb unexcavated? Still, this book provides an intriguing  glimpse at one of China's greatest treasures and at one of its  most famous emperors.Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School,  Brookline, MACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.