Balestier Press ISBN 9781911221258 £12.99
This book came about as a result of the author’s work on an assisted reading programme in a London primary school. She found herself searching for stories that would sufficiently engage some of the children who lacked the intrinsic motivation to read, and in particular some of the Muslim children for whom there seemed to be very little material that celebrated their background. For those of us who knew little or nothing about Akbar, it makes an interesting read.
Akbar was a very rich and powerful ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1556-1605. During his reign, he commissioned many paintings to celebrate his story, and this book focuses on just eight of them. The accompanying text provides biographical detail, and then invites the reader to explore the paintings in depth. These reveal fascinating details, and encourage pupils to understand that within many paintings – not just these -there will be hidden messages. The highlighted details are further explained in a final section of the book entitled For the especially curious. Whilst some of the Can you find these? have a faint hint of Where’s Wally? they do at least draw the reader into a closer examination of the pictures and can act as a catalyst for discussion. A useful addition to the classroom library from a tried and tested background.
Elizabeth Broad