Synopses & Reviews
In about A.D. 400, a group of seafarers reached a small, isolated island in Polynesia and founded a new settlement. They developed a rich and complex culture that lasted more than a thousand years. The population eventually declined, and soon all that remained were a few inhabitants and hundreds of mysterious giant stone statues in varying stages of disrepair. Caroline Arnold explains how archeologists and other scientists and scholars have pieced together a history of Easter Island by studying its natural resources, listening to family stories and Polynesian legends, and examining the statues and other clues the people left behind. Photographs, taken by the author, provide a stunning visual accompaniment to this clear and concise account of one of the most remote--and fascinating--places on earth. GLOSSARY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX.
Review
"The clearly written text is accompanied by breathtaking color photographs that show the beauty of the island and its rich collection of archaeological features." HORN BOOK Horn Book
"Arnold provides a clear and concise look at the island and the many mysteries that surround it, detailing its early settlement, its people and resources, and the rise and fall of its rich and complex civilization. One of the most intriguing questions that remains unanswered is how the ancient Rapanui people carved and erected hundreds of giant stone statues found all over the island. The author carefully explains how scientist have theorized on early history and how the decimation over time of the island's natural resources and its isolations from trade routes may have led to its decline in population. . . . Several of the full-page color photographs are breathtaking, while smaller pictures illustrate specific points from the text." School Library Journal, Starred
"A little-discussed but fascinating topic." Booklist, ALA
"...a comprehensive index and concise chapter titles will help report writers navigate through the material with ease." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
"A little-discussed but fascinating topic."
Review
'\"The clearly written text is accompanied by breathtaking color photographs that show the beauty of the island and its rich collection of archaeological features.\" HORN BOOK'
Review
In about A.D. 400, a group of seafarers reached a small, isolated island in Polynesia and founded a new settlement. They developed a rich and complex culture that lasted more than a thousand years. The population eventually declined, and soon all that remained were a few inhabitants and hundreds of mysterious giant stone statues in varying stages of disrepair. Caroline Arnold explains how archeologists and other scientists and scholars have pieced together a history of Easter Island by studying its natural resources, listening to family stories and Polynesian legends, and examining the statues and other clues the people left behind. Photographs, taken by the author, provide a stunning visual accompaniment to this clear and concise account of one of the most remote--and fascinating--places on earth. GLOSSARY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX."The clearly written text is accompanied by breathtaking color photographs that show the beauty of the island and its rich collection of archaeological features." HORN BOOK Horn Book
"Arnold provides a clear and concise look at the island and the many mysteries that surround it, detailing its early settlement, its people and resources, and the rise and fall of its rich and complex civilization. One of the most intriguing questions that remains unanswered is how the ancient Rapanui people carved and erected hundreds of giant stone statues found all over the island. The author carefully explains how scientist have theorized on early history and how the decimation over time of the island's natural resources and its isolations from trade routes may have led to its decline in population. . . . Several of the full-page color photographs are breathtaking, while smaller pictures illustrate specific points from the text." School Library Journal, Starred
"A little-discussed but fascinating topic." Booklist, ALA
"...a comprehensive index and concise chapter titles will help report writers navigate through the material with ease." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
About the Author
Caroline Arnold always loved books, but as a child she never thought of writing as a career. Born in Pittsburgh, she grew up in Minneapolis and studied art at Grinnell College and the University of Iowa. "It was only after my children were born that I became acquainted with children's books and it occurred to me that I could use my training to become a children's book illustrator. I soon realized that I needed a text to go with the pictures, and the more I wrote, the more I realized that I liked writing as much as or more than drawing. I've always been fascinated by the natural world and love to go to the parks and museums. Perhaps