Product Description

The Greeks and Trojans battle for the beautiful Helen of Troy. Who will win? A huge wooden horse holds the answer. These 48-page books about fascinating subjects like pirates, mummies, and volcanoes are for proficient readers who can understand a rich vocabulary and challenging sentence structure. In addition to the stunning photographs, informative sidebars, and glossary, readers will find archival photographs and paintings. Averaging 4,500 to 5,000 words in length, Level 4 books are 40 percent pictures and 40 percent text. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #190006 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-Clement-Davies retells the story of The Iliad from the quarrel over the golden apple to the fall of Troy. DK's trademark layout illustrates perfectly both the benefits and drawbacks of the technique. It allows for explanations that would be awkward to include within the text, but the narrative flow of this exciting adventure story is constantly interrupted. Colorful, dramatic drawings illustrate the tale. The sidebars consist of full-color photos, illustrations, and art reproductions. The writing is good, if not exceptional. The reading level and page design make the book suitable for reluctant readers. The Iliad (Kingfisher, 1997), retold by Ian Strachan, is better written and tells the story in more depth, but is intended for an older audience. The Trojan Horse (McElderry, 1992), retold and illustrated by Warwick Hutton, focuses on the fall of Troy, with the events leading up to the appearance of the horse only briefly described. This version fills a niche.
Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher
"Best of all, these books are fun to read. The stories are well written and focus on subjects that interest kids." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"DK Publishing has been a leader in introducing children to nonfiction. Their new Eyewitness Readers are true to form." -Boston Globe

Customer Reviews

Disappointing
I have purchased quite a few DK Readers books for my kids. We love them. This one, for some reason, has failed to grab their attention. I barely made it half way through before the kids started to suggest that I read other books.

This book starts with the jealousy and conflicts among the Greek gods (which, the story goes, led to the Trojan war). About a third of the way through, one finally gets to the war outside Troy. In contrast, the real dramatic part of the Trojan war--the horse (named in the title) comes across as a rather minor point in the story. Which is a shame given that the Trojan horse most likely is more intriguing to young readers than the jealousy and power struggle among some Greek gods that the kids have not quite got a grip on.

Aside from lacking focus in this short book (and packing in way too much loose details on Greek gods), the book sounds rather dry. Perhaps all Level 4 books are like this one, but we are a bit disappointed.

There are better books out there
I chose not to use this in our study of Greece. It had a very cluttered feel to it - you had the story and illustrations to go with it, and then pictures of actual items from ancient Greece around the borders. Visually very distracting.

The story of the Trojan war is not pretty. This version has Hercules dragging Hector's body behind his chariot in a very off-hand, non-emotional kind of way. I felt like this wasn't appropriate for my 7-year-olds and especially not with a "oh well, things happen" kind of attitude. There was no real 'feeling' in this book and I think the story needs it to work.

I used Trojan Horse by Emily Little this year. It's a brief overview without getting too in-depth or too gruesome. I'll use Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus the next time around when they're older and can handle the blood and guts and discuss the morality of the choices made with more clarity.

DK Readers: Trojan Horse (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
Arrived in a timely manner and was in good shape