Laura Fischer (1) (1977–)

This book is part of the Picture the Past series intended for children in grades 2-4 to learn about the history and culture of various parts of the United States. Readers learn about the earliest settlers, home life, farming, food, clothing, and schools. Some of the illustrations are reprints from the period while others are modern interpretations of how things would have appeared in the 17th century. The labels and text do not identify which ones are modern and which ones are reprints from show more the era, and it's not always obvious which are which. The single recipe for pancakes in the section on food is possibly too difficult for most 2nd-4th graders. Many experienced cooks would find it challenging to flip a large, very thin pancake. Some errors slipped through the editorial process. There are mistakes in the labels with a couple of the illustrations, and there is at least one word in the glossary that doesn't appear in the text. I noticed some repetitiveness when I read the book in a single sitting. This wouldn't be as obvious to readers using the book as a reference resource. It would probably work best as a reference source, with the table of contents and index providing points of access to the content. show less