Review: Archaeologists and What They Do by Liesbet Slegers

ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND WHAT THEY DO

Profession 

by Liesbet Slegers

Clavis

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 3 to 6

An archaeologist searches for things that people used a long, long time ago. By studying these objects we learn about the past and how people lived in ancient times. Maybe you would like to be an archaeologist?

An informative book for adventure lovers ages 3 and up about archaeologists and what they do.

       

MY TIDBITS

Digging deep and discovering history turns into fact filled fun in this lovely description of what an archaeologists does.

Starting with the basics like what an archaeologist wears, this book dives into the profession and describes the various aspects of an archaeologist's job and life. From finding a place where history might be found to start the dig to labeling and categorizing, the fun and more serious sides of the profession are addressed, while keeping excitement alive.

This is my first peek at this series, and if the rest of the books are like this one, then I'm giving it a big two thumbs up. The first pages start out by directly connecting to young readers with something they can relate to. In this case, it was dress-up as a princess or a knight. Then, it quickly sweeps into the question of what things really might have been like back then (food? homes?) and dives into what might lie buried under a play area outside...everything from toys to spoons...and then, to a skeleton with a crown. It's such a lovely and playful way to draw young listeners in and gives them a way to connect to the information which follows.

The description of the archaeologist's job stays more on the excavating end of things, which is fine and really the side which captures kids' interest most. Everything from an archaeologist's clothes to tools to living quarters to a little paperwork is described in an easy to understand way and does not grow boring, either. Each page is accompanied by a simple but clear illustration to help make the details described in the text clear. Plus, every illustrations holds a joyful atmosphere, making sure the job receives a more positive vibe.

I found the information was delivered in a way that young listeners can understand and learn from. There are some aspects of the job they probably hadn't thought about before. This also ends with the reminder that artifacts are found in museums (which could tie it in so nicely with a field trip!). To top it of...and a favorite part of mine...there's a do-it-yourself activity at the end, in which kids can bury their own artifacts. And I'm sure some will want to start their own excavation attempts, too.

I see this as a great way to introduce the profession of an archaeologist to kids and see even homeschoolers enjoying this one.



Want to find out more?

You can find out more about Liesbet Slegers HERE

And you can discover more about the Profession series (which includes books about doctors, astronauts, dentists, race car drivers and more) HERE