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Searching... Oakdale Library | J 974.4 DAV | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Intriguing sidebars and quizzes about daily life in Plymouth provides little-known facts about the Pilgrims' Mayflower voyage, relations with Indians, and the original turkey feast. Illustrations.
Author Notes
Kenneth C. Davis is an American popular historian, best known for his Don't Know Much About... series. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Davis attended Concordia College, Bronxville in New York, and Fordham University at Lincoln Center, New York City. Davis's second book, Don't Know Much About History, spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and sold nearly 1.5 million copies. This unexpected success launched the Don't Know Much About... series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Handsomely packaged and laced with more than a dash of irreverent cheek, this title will entice browsers who will probably learn a little along the way. Davis organizes the haphazard collection of factoids chronologically and covers the same material found in any of a number of other books on the period. Sidebars on nearly every page highlight related material, while colorful cartoon illustrations add visual appeal. Cutaway drawings show the interior of a typical Pilgrim house and of the Mayflower. Unfortunately, the simplification and the somewhat frivolous tone create some problems. The Puritans' disagreement with the Church of England dealt with issues far more serious than "fancy ceremonies and decorations." Stating that the king "said the Pilgrims had to shape up or ship out" is also misleading in that Separatist leaders were routinely imprisoned, not exiled. The brief paragraphs dealing with their time in Holland imply that they were unhappy there largely because "they had to work harder than they had worked in England." Paul Erickson's Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 (Clarion, 2001) is a more informative source for reports. Connie and Peter Roop's Pilgrim Voices (Walker, 1997) is another good choice. Ann McGovern's -If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 (Scholastic, 1991) takes a lighthearted approach to the Pilgrims but presents the facts more precisely, and has a great cutaway diagram of the Mayflower that gives a real sense of just how crowded things were during the voyage. Davis's casual looks at history are popular, but librarians will want to consider how many of them their budgets can bear.-Elaine Fort Weischedel, Franklin Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Using a question-and-answer (Did the Pilgrims have a doctor?) and true-or-false (The Pilgrims called their harvest feast 'Thanksgiving') format, Davis provides information on topics ranging from the first Thanksgiving to Pilgrim children's chores. Lively, detailed color sketches illustrate the text, and sidebars offer lesser-known tidbits. The jokey tone is sometimes engaging but often forced. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 3^-5. From the Don't Know Much About series, this colorfully illustrated volume takes a refreshingly candid look at the pilgrims. Forgoing the usual solemn tone, reverence for forefathers, and claims about the "first Thanksgiving," Davis breathes life into the subject with an evenhanded approach to both the Indians and the newcomers and through his attention to details that will interest children. The question-and-answer format follows a logical arrangement and sets up a conversational voice that sounds informal, yet is informative. Throughout the book, Schindler's precise and lively ink drawings, brightened with color washes, put a very human (and often amusing) face on the past. One of the series' best. --Carolyn Phelan