内容简介

Gr 6-8--Two attractive and informative series titles. Galvin presents a colorful portrait of Mayan art, poetry, religion, language, and way of life. Even reluctant readers can follow the fascinating narrative with interest. Mayan stonework and hieroglyphs are discussed, as are the development of three separate calendars and the study of astronomy. Millar looks at the Benin, which was the most spectacular kingdom of West Africa 500 years ago. She gives an overview of its history including the fact that slavery was rampant there even before Europeans came to the African coast. The author goes on to describe their belief system in gods, witches, ghosts, magic, and sacrificial rites. Both books have good-quality, full-color, captioned photographs on nearly every page. They predominantly depict ruins and artifacts, but also show modern-day members of each culture engaged in traditional ceremonies and everyday activities. Interesting research and learning tools.