The History Book

Just because it’s History doesn’t mean it needs to be boring.  At least that seems to be the motivation behind DK Canada’s The History Book. This book is “a trip through history from the stone age to the digital age” and it used a variety of fun and creative ways to do that.

the history book

This book is so much fun. Every page is a different format. For example:

  • Quiz: Just how Homo Sapiens are you? – a magazine style multiple choice questionnaire
  • Egyptian Afterlife: Game On – an 8-bit style video game presentation of the afterlife beliefs of the Egyptian people
  • Your City-State Needs You – a recruiting page to the Spartan Army
  • Imperial Rome High School – a page out of the a high school yearbook, complete with headshots and the obligatory “Most Likely to” of the various Roman leaders
  • Obituary: Qin Shi Huang – a newspaper article obituary of the Emperor of early China
  • Invasion of the Mongols – a movie poster, complete with graphic warnings
  • Visit the Inca Empire – a travel guide to these ancient grounds
  • The Black Death – a comic strip about the plague
  • World Cruises – “web pages” about various travel opportunities based on famous explorers
  • Captain Cook’s Blog – a page of Captain Cook’s personal blog as he explores the world
  • Scientific Advances – a sales magazine
  • A Day in the Life – a magazine style article exploring the daily life of a mill owner in 1850
  • Great Event – a flyer announcing the grand opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway
  • First Flight – the air “safety card” about the Wright brothers and their inventions
  • Suffragette Online – an online magazine website about women’s rights in the early 1900s
  • Joseph Stalin – his report card
  • War Over – a “game over” stats screen
  • Race to the Moon – a comic strip of space history
  • The Great Escape – a school project journal about the Berlin Wall
  • Dear Sibyl… – a letter to the columnist page where “readers” ask questions like “I have noticed some black spots appearing under my arms. Should I change my brand of deodorant?” – peasant, 1348. (Answer: No. You have the plague.)
  • A (Nutshell) history of Canada – a single page devoted to the basic history of Canada

This book is a great reference book to have while you are studying world history.

 

Lisa Marie Fletcher
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