Aztecs and Maya

Children's Literature - Kristin Harris

The Aztec and Maya were descendents of the earliest settlers in Central America. The Maya flourished first and built a civilization that spread through most of Central America. The Aztecs settled in the central part of Mexico. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors marked the end for both civilizations. Although the Spanish destroyed most of the peoples' cultural artifacts, many objects survived to help us understand their ways. The Maya and Aztecs both had pyramids and large stone sculptures. Much of the stone sculpture was carved in bas-relief. Maya and Aztec artists used clay to make functional vessels as well as sculptures. The Mayans and the Aztec both had scribes who made books. The Spanish destroyed all but four of these books. Four craft activities mimic the arts of these cultures. The hoop used in a ball game is made out of plaster. A paper mache mask is covered in paper mosaic. Paper is distressed to resemble the bark the Maya used to write on to make a paper cutout. There is a disjointed flow to the text, which seems to jump from culture to culture. The illustrations are informative, but not inspiring.