San Rafael: A Central American City Through the Ages (ILLUSTRATED)

Xavier Hernandez

ISBN 10: 0395606454 / ISBN 13: 9780395606452

Published by Houghton Mifflin, U.S.A., 1992

About this Item

A nice copy with normal library markings.

Seller Inventory # 009959

Bibliographic Details

• Title: San Rafael: A Central American City Through the Ages (ILLUSTRATED)
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, U.S.A.
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395606454
• ISBN 13: 9780395606452
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jordi Ballonga; Josep Escofet
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • History

About this title

Synopsis

A look at a Latin American city traces the development of fictional city based on actual towns in Mexico and Central America, discussing history, anthropology, city planning, culture, and more.

Reviews

Grade 4-7-- Hernandez uses a ficticious city as the prototype for all Central American cities of Mayan descent. Each stage in its development, from its birth as a small village 3000 years ago, through its uncertain future in the late 20th century, is examined in double-page spreads. For each time period, a detailed architectural rendering provides a panoramic view of San Rafael and the surrounding area. A half-page inset then diagrams that scene, identifying land usages, buildings, and infrastructure. Text and additional pen-and-ink illustrations explain other aspects of Mayan society that, after rising out of the jungle to glory, collapsed in ruin to emerge as a mixture of Spanish colonialism and New World cultures. The text is brief but clearly written, offering readers a great deal of information in a small amount of space. Although most children will be fascinated by the intricate detail, some may be confused by the terrain analysis and overwhelmed by the volume of textual and visual material. There is no glossary to explain the sophisticated vocabulary and concepts, and the index is nothing more than a table of contents. Useful, but of limited appeal. --Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.