Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1684734 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.04 pounds
• Binding: School & Library Binding
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Knight and O'Brien explore notable walls the world over as both symbols and vehicles for cultural connection; PW called this book "a praiseworthy celebration of similarities and differences among the world's peoples." Ages 5-13.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-- A unique introduction to the history and beliefs of a diverse group of cultures. In each of the 14 double-page spreads, Knight journeys to a new location, presenting information and folklore about famous walls all over the world. Some of the choices are obvious: the Great Wall of China, the Lascaux Cave, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Berlin Wall. Others are less traditional but imaginatively appropriate: the Mexican murals of Diego Rivera, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Nelson Mandela's prison walls. Although each vignette is brief, the author holds readers' interest with personalized stories, such as the one of a young boy who proudly chalks his handprint next to those of his ancestors on an Aborigine cave wall, or the Jewish child who solemnly places his handwritten Hebrew prayer in a crevice of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Additional information is provided at the back of the book, as are two simple maps and endpapers that feature the word for wall in 36 languages. Beautifully executed pastel paintings capture the variety and vitality of each culture presented. Use this to launch a discussion about the uses and abuses of boundaries, or connect it to more familiar sights such as graffiti or billboards, and talk about walls as a means of cultural expression. --Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
What is a wall? Keynoting their venture with a Robert Frost quote (``Before I built a wall I'd ask to know/What I was walling in or walling out...''), Knight and O'Brien explore the concept in 14 two-page presentations of notable walls from six continents and many periods: defensive (China's Great Wall, Berlin, the walls of Mandela's prison); walls holding prehistoric artwork in Australia and France, as well as Rivera's frescoes; historic sites (Jerusalem's Western Wall); the Vietnam Memorial. The brief, straightforward text has additional concluding notes; the large, double-spread illustrations are in a relaxed, impressionistic style, expressive and lively with activity-- including a multicultural cast of modern children at the sites. Thoughtfully composed, an unusually attractive book that wisely allows readers to draw their own inferences. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.