THE GREAT WALL THROUGH TIME

Time-travel along the Great Wall of China in this Chinese import translated by Wu.

At 13,170 miles long and with more than 2,700 years of history, the Great Wall of China is a series of walls and fortifications spanning deserts and mountains. Starting in the city of Nanyang in 656 B.C.E. and ending at the Yanmen Pass in 2022 C.E., the book introduces readers to the awe-inspiring structure’s history, from the influential figures who helped build it to the wall’s evolving uses to notable historical events. Just over a dozen such events are highlighted, with a double-page panoramic scene of a different area of the Great Wall accompanying each short prose overview. Du’s highly detailed realistic illustrations in an earthy palette teem with visual information to pore over. The consistently used bird’s-eye perspective helps establish the immense scale of the Great Wall. Readers see snow-covered mountains, desert sands, green landscapes, and scores of soldiers, laborers, and travelers. As with its predecessor, China Through Time (2020), callouts bordering the pages offer interesting facts and seek-and-find prompts. Hidden in each two-page spread is Hong Yu, a red fox whose activities are used to quiz readers. A short timeline at the closing provides some dynastic context. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A richly visual and interactive resource for learning about one of the world’s greatest architectural and cultural wonders.