Illuminations - Hardcover

Grade 1-3-- Using an alphabet book format, Hunt shares his love of the lifestyle, symbols, and artistry of the Middle Ages. Three-quarter-page watercolor paintings, outlined with black pen, illustrate a wide variety of subjects ranging from the Black Death to unicorns. While Hunt is successful in conveying his own enthusiasm for the period, the span of time covered and the skimpy information given will do little to aid children's understanding of this rich and diverse period. The choice of subjects is idiosyncratic, and ideas do not build upon one another. Legendary "Arthurian" characters and mythical symbols are mixed at random with flat-footed definitions of terms such as quintain and wattle and daub. Although the text states that dragons, unicorns, and "Excalibur" are legendary, the difference will escape many young readers. The descriptions are frustratingly brief, often hinting at stories untold. The full-color illustrations are dramatic and use many of the rich colors of the period. However, Hunt's attempt to recreate the format of illuminated manuscripts falls short. The large scale of the illustrations overwhelms the slim decorative borders, and cleverly designed capital letters barely hint at the beautiful calligraphy that would have dominated a medieval text. The books listed in the bibliography are primarily for adults, and the ideas illustrated would have most appeal to children with some basic knowledge of history. Both the alphabet format and brief text will be disappointing to them, yet the book lacks the coherent structure necessary for an introduction for younger children. Young readers are better served by David Macaulay's Castle (Houghton, 1977) or Anno's Medieval World (Philomel, 1980) .
-Eleanor K. MacDonald, Beverly Hills Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Alchemist to Zither, this medieval alphabet book glows with ornately illuminated letters and decoration; the text, describing such uncommon entries as Excalibur, Portcullis and Villein, is a virtual history lesson in itself. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.