Prehistoric Stone Monuments

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-Two brief series entries that attempt to do too much and offer too little. Prehistoric Stone Monuments examines three sites selected by UNESCO for preservation, including Stonehenge; seven such sites are explored in Romanesque Art and Architecture. In both books, the text is disjointed and confusing, jumping across large expanses of time and geography. The one or two small maps don't even include all of the places mentioned. Too many unfamiliar and technical words are used, and although some of them are defined in an inset box and in a one-page glossary, many others are not. No pronunciation assistance is offered. A timeline lists occurrences pertaining to the sites. The full-color photographs are occasionally interesting, but are often unrelated to the nearby text or repeat information already presented.-Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin