cbr13bingo New Series (started in 2021)
The 5 here is rounded up. While I love the Magical History Tour series, I am always looking for more, so Magical History Tour #5: The Plague is a 4.5 read. However, ages 7 to 10 are the perfect ages for this book and the text and information is perfect for them making this most likely a 5 for them.
Fabrice Erre has once again researched history and this time has come up with the plague. Or more accurately, with information about the plagues, pandemics, and epidemics throughout history. There is even a bit about the recent pandemic at the end of the book along with a few other pieces of information and factoids.
The two main characters, Annie and Nico, are modern day kids who have something happen “now” that will set them off on an adventure through time. The facts and information are as up to date as possible (I recently learned about the Mongolian army’s connection to the spread of the Black Death, therefore the inclusion was exciting to see). You will see the parallels to our own recent issues with Covid and learn about how we came to be able to fight it as quickly as we were able to. (Considering one era of plague lasted hundreds of years, two years was quickly.)
This thoughtful and accessible book is a great way to be introduced to the history of plagues, pandemics, even the history of travel/merchants, medical and scientific history, and discoveries. These books are a perfect addition to the classroom and for the parent and child to sit and talk about the subject one-on-one. I am sure even adults will learn something they were not aware of.
Sylvain Savoia’s illustrations make this perhaps my favorite book of the series (of course, I also have a thing for the Plague Doctor look as it is both amusing and practical in its own way). The colors are not BOOM but not dull either. They set the tone of the story. Details are crowded but not overwhelming as they show the action and details of the time. The clothing of contemporary people also comes into play with the eras of the modern (as recently as the 1920s) situations.
There is a touching afterwards by Jim Salicrup, Editor-in-Chief to a friend who passed from Covid (as well as his own experiences with the disease).