Houses and Homes (See Through History)
Grade 4-6?A historic overview of domestic architecture from the modest to the extravagant. Beginning with prehistoric hunting camps and ending with Biosphere 2, the author presents a good representation of cultures throughout the world, including generic forms of housing (cave dwellings, Roman apartments, a Maori Pa, Zulu homes) as well as specific palaces (Sargon's palace in Assyria, Chambord in France). Two-to-six pages are devoted to each type of abode and examine who lived there, building materials and constructions, special or unique design features, and, in some cases, provide layouts of the surrounding community. Colorful illustrations of the homes and communities, some photographs of domestic artifacts, and cutaways and diagrams further illuminate how people lived. Four overlays add another dimension by presenting both exteriors and interiors of specific dwellings. This is a well-written and well-organized presentation that will fascinate readers. Sylvia White's Welcome Home (Children's Press, 1995), although not as informative, offers a different slant; it is divided into sections dealing with building material, design, social status, and life styles of the inhabitants.?Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, ORCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.