The Roman Army: The Legendary Soldiers Who Created an Empire (Booklist Editor's Choice. Books for Youth (Awards))
Gr. 5-8. The arresting jacket art will draw casual readers as well as student researchers to this dynamic book from the author and illustrator ofOlympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece(2001). Blacklock talks about who made up the army, how they were organized, the equipment they used, and their highly successful techniques of warfare. Particularly interesting is the discussion of the treatment of defeated people, captives, and individual soldiers. Although the reading level may be a little challenging for elementary-school students, the paragraphs of text on any given page are relatively short, the incentive for reading is strong, and the well-conceived interplay of text and illustrations will help with comprehension. Calling the art "comic-book style" suggests the approach and appeal of these impressive illustrations, but it conveys little of the artwork's dignity and originality. Some pages are drawn with straightforward simplicity, such as the double-page spread showing military figures displaying the garb worn by different types and ranks of soldiers. But many others use small, multicolored panels to show the army's activities and larger, overlapping panels to interpret more complex information or dramatize narrative scenes. The visually arresting art combines with the well-written text for an unusually clear and accessible offering.Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved