《儿童读物杂志》(Horn Book)书评
For each landscape highlighted in these profusely illustrated volumes, Bevan offers brief facts, along with a tale selected from related folklore. [cf2]Beneath the Earth[cf1] describes six phenomena, including springs, earthquakes, and volcanoes, and features stories from Europe, Hawaii, and Japan. [cf2]Cities[cf1] touches on six ancient cities with great cultural significance, including Rome, Mecca, and Jerusalem. The books provide interesting introductions but have limited scope. Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
《书目》(Booklist)书评
Gr. 3^-5. The concept for the Landscapes of Legend series is an interesting one: Introduce the stories ancient peoples told about the natural world and compare them with the facts. The execution of the concept varies in quality. Beneath the Earth discusses volcanoes and pairs them with a story about Pele, the fiery Hawaiian goddess; underground springs lead into an Irish legend featuring Finn McCool. The information about the natural world is succinct and informative. The stories are succinct as well, which makes them a bit sterile. However, they are enlivened by inventive watercolor artwork that makes full use of the fantasy elements. Children familiar with common names of the gods and goddesses may note that less usual names are used in several of the stories. Cities of Splendor introduces real cities, such as Mecca and Jerusalem, and offers stories about them that will be familiar to the followers of the religions. Photographs and art intermingle nicely in this volume. Informative notes expand both books. --Ilene Cooper