Like many other books of its kind, the illustrations are the highlight. The content is chronologically set up, based on estimated times of completion, and the information is accurate, if somewhat unimaginative and brief. the brevity is due to the size and detail of the illustrations: there is always something more to see in them. The book prefers to allow the illustration to convey the most information, and the fun of taking the "top" off of some of the structures is really going to appeal to the visual learner, who doodles instead of note taking, who will have a real eye for detailed art, but who won't want to read a great deal. The focus of the split illustrations on the buildings with extensive archeological research, like the Egyptian tombs or the city of Petra is a wise choice, rather than delve into a completely speculative rendition of those ancient wonders which exist only in the written record now, though including information and simple sketches was also a good decision. I only wish they had put in MORE of the "peel-away" pictures.

This was a pretty clogged book about Ancient Wonders of the world. It is hard to read straight through, but the table of contents allows for easy access to information on a specific wonder. While the pages are filled to the brim (almost too much so), students will enjoy flipping through the book and will be intrigued by a few of the surprises. I would definitely leave this book out in a classroom as an option for early finishers. ( )