In the delightful children’s book, Mazes Around The World, Mary Lankford takes young readers on a journey through many parts of the world where mazes and labyrinths are part of the history, are part of the history, as well as current day places of interest. Covering mazes and labyrinths from Egypt, Greece, France, Sweden, the UK, and North and South America, she has assembled enough information to engage an adult reader without overwhelming a young one, making it an ideal read-aloud book for home or for the classroom.
Karen Dugan has created simple yet engaging illustrations that show the differences between the various maze structures, without being overly technical or stiff. The soft palette used for the illustrations makes the book lively. By avoiding overly bright colors Karen Dugan makes the picture book calm and perfectly suitable for bedtime reading.
According to the author, Mary Lankford, at one point the terms maze and labyrinth were synonymous, and only took on the distinctions as single-pathed or multi-pathed after the adoption of the labyrinth as a religious meditation devise. In case you’re wondering which is which today, mazes usually refer to a multi-pathed challenge, while labyrinths are single-pathed constructions in which you cannot get lost.
Some of the mazes and labyrinths that the author covers include the Minotaur’s Maze of Greece, stone mazes of the Swedish fishermen, turf, hedge and water mazes of the UK, the woven basket mazes of Native America Tribes, and South African Soekershof Mazes. I don't want to tell you too much about them, because I would hate to spoil this unusual journey you are about to take around the world.
This is a recommended nonfiction picture book for its content and illustrations.
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