About This Book
A parent might reach for this book when their child shows a budding interest in history beyond the typical Greeks and Romans, or needs an accessible resource for a school project on ancient civilizations. This Usborne title offers a visually rich and engaging introduction to the Aztec empire, covering everything from their incredible capital city built on a lake to their complex social structure, religious beliefs, and daily life. It fuels a child's natural curiosity about the past by presenting facts in a digestible, exciting way. While it touches on mature topics like human sacrifice, it does so factually and without graphic detail, making it appropriate for the 7 to 10 age range with a little parental guidance. It’s an excellent choice for a visual learner or any child ready to explore a fascinating and complex culture.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The primary sensitive topics are violence, warfare, and human sacrifice. The book addresses these directly as historical and religious facts. The treatment is not graphic or sensationalized, but the concepts themselves are inherently intense. This book contains descriptions of violence, warfare, and human sacrifice, which some children may find disturbing. The book explains the historical and religious context of these practices, but the concepts themselves may be intense for some readers. For example, it explains why sacrifice was performed (to appease the gods) rather than just focusing on the act itself. The fall of the empire is presented as a historical event, a result of conquest, which may also bring up themes of colonialism for older readers.
