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You Wouldn't Want to Be ...
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Mayan Soothsayer!: Fortunes You'd Rather Not Tell
Presents information about the Mayan culture and religion of ancient Mexico and Central America, from the perspective of a Mayan soothsayer's son.
32 pages, Library Binding
Published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 21, 2018
I don't know about this installment in the series, it kind of bored me. I don't know if I was just bored because this culture doesn't appeal to me at all but I think it was just windy and not that interesting. The soothsayer has to keep records of the stars, calendar, and all the sacred days. His responsibility is to teach the dance for rituals to the master that employs him, predict the future, referee the games, kill wild tigers with an obsidian knife, kill human sacrifices, light the torch the first time or be sacrificed himself. Needless to say, I wouldn't want to be a Mayan Soothsayer.
May 26, 2016
This book is a quick, easy, and fun way to learn about the Mayans. It's a very educating read that demonstrates the daily life of Mayans. It's in a first person perspective where you are a Mayan Soothsayer. It shows the pros and cons of being a Mayan. Overall, I think this was a very fun and educational book to read.
September 25, 2017
A fun, slightly gruesome, introduction to Mayan culture and history.
November 12, 2020
Okay, I am super glad this is not my job! Wow!
April 6, 2021
A lighthearted way to share with your students the life of a Mayan in ancient Middle America. Great pictures and interesting facts to keep students of all ages engaged in the story as they learn about the early people of this area.
September 8, 2015
Another one down. A lot of information for those who were soothsayers in the Mayan culture. Presented with great pictures that kids will love. The children had to learn math and learn all about 150 gods. I see school hasn't changed much. At least their history classes didn't have that much history.
June 30, 2012
Another great instalment of this history series for kids. Again, the book is full of the shocking and gross out facts that give the series it's title, but there is also a solid ethnographic look at the culture of the Ancient Mayans, in a way that most junior students would understand.
January 23, 2010
i love this series of books! i love to read of all them. quick easy and fun way to learn history! my kids love them too!
December 6, 2010
As usual the kids enjoyed the word bubbles and handy hints but I felt like this one was a little light on facts about the culture. I didn't learn anything new. Enjoyable regardless.
January 19, 2011
Quick, easy, enjoyable, and educating read. Easy to see why so many kids and younger teens love these!
September 6, 2012
What a fun nonfiction book! I loved learning all about Mayan soothsayers and I know I could sell this book to my students. It is so good to know there is fun, informative nonfiction out there!
July 31, 2015
Climbing the ranks of Mayan society probably wasn't as easy as this book makes it out to be.
March 8, 2016
Ahser (8yo) read.
March 31, 2009
I like the humor in history it gives
April 17, 2017
Bookworm Speaks!
You Wouldn’t Want To Be A Mayan Soothsayer!
Fortunes You’d Rather Not Tell
****
Written by Rupert Matthews
Illustrated by David Antram
****
Acquired: Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
Series: You Wouldn't Want to...
Paperback: 32 Pages
Publisher: Franklin Watts (September 2007)
Language: English
Subject: Non-Fiction
****
The Story: Get ready…as the son of a Maya Holy Man you are expected to follow in your father’s footsteps. It’s not an easy job—one false move and you could seriously regret becoming a Mayan Soothsayer. It’s perilous! Top Tips from Experts. Pay attention in math class—it’s the key to success in the Maya world. Learn the names of all of the gods, and how to keep them happy. Don’t make mistakes when making a sacrifice or you could be sacrificed next. Carrying a god’s statue will keep you safe in battle.
The Review: When Bookworm was in middle school, he came across a book in his history class. It was called- You wouldn’t want to be a Roman Gladiator. It was brilliant. It was richly illustrated, funny, and surprisingly informative and upon further recollection, extremely accessible for a young student. He can still remember segments of the book with surprising clarity.
Many years later, after exploring the Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed exhibit at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Bookworm came across another book in the same series. Bookworm had known that there were more books in the series but he had no idea it was still around. Needless to say…he bought it, read it, and now Bookworm is going to speak about it!
Part of the reason this book is so accessible is how the text is personalized. It should be remarked that this series is one of the few books in general that utilize the second-person point of view. For the uninformed: First Person View means a story told from the point of view of ‘I’. Third Person is ‘he, she, they.” Second is ‘You”. Needless to say this particular format is particularly rare. In this book though, it works as it really takes the reader on a journey of this Mayan soothsayer from boyhood to master. The creators of this book were smart in their formatting in that each section is dedicated to a particular facet of Mayan culture, yet presents each one as a step on the Soothsayer’s journey. The best kind of non-fiction is one that does not merely repeat facts but tells the reader a story and that is exactly what this book does. Throughout it, the author throws in additional facts, but they always relate to the main topic of the section and are accompanied by colorful illustrations. Illustrations are important no matter what the level of reader. They help them visualize the topic of the text.
The illustrations while stylized to be appealing to the intended audience, do seem faithful to current historical hypotheses. The costumes, objects, buildings and other details seem factually accurate if perhaps a bit simplified. Bookworm is not an expert, so he would not know. The stylization mostly revolves around the human characters, which are rather funny and full off cartoonish exaggerations. Some may argue that they not ethnically accurate but remember: this book is primarily marketed to kids.
Final Verdict: While by no means an in depth examination of Mayan culture, this little book is a perfect introduction to the people of ancient Central America, either for firing the imagination of young minds or serving as a bite-sized serving of culture for a curious amateur.
Four Mayan Pyramids out of Five
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
You Wouldn’t Want To Be A Mayan Soothsayer!
Fortunes You’d Rather Not Tell
****
Written by Rupert Matthews
Illustrated by David Antram
****
Acquired: Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
Series: You Wouldn't Want to...
Paperback: 32 Pages
Publisher: Franklin Watts (September 2007)
Language: English
Subject: Non-Fiction
****
The Story: Get ready…as the son of a Maya Holy Man you are expected to follow in your father’s footsteps. It’s not an easy job—one false move and you could seriously regret becoming a Mayan Soothsayer. It’s perilous! Top Tips from Experts. Pay attention in math class—it’s the key to success in the Maya world. Learn the names of all of the gods, and how to keep them happy. Don’t make mistakes when making a sacrifice or you could be sacrificed next. Carrying a god’s statue will keep you safe in battle.
The Review: When Bookworm was in middle school, he came across a book in his history class. It was called- You wouldn’t want to be a Roman Gladiator. It was brilliant. It was richly illustrated, funny, and surprisingly informative and upon further recollection, extremely accessible for a young student. He can still remember segments of the book with surprising clarity.
Many years later, after exploring the Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed exhibit at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Bookworm came across another book in the same series. Bookworm had known that there were more books in the series but he had no idea it was still around. Needless to say…he bought it, read it, and now Bookworm is going to speak about it!
Part of the reason this book is so accessible is how the text is personalized. It should be remarked that this series is one of the few books in general that utilize the second-person point of view. For the uninformed: First Person View means a story told from the point of view of ‘I’. Third Person is ‘he, she, they.” Second is ‘You”. Needless to say this particular format is particularly rare. In this book though, it works as it really takes the reader on a journey of this Mayan soothsayer from boyhood to master. The creators of this book were smart in their formatting in that each section is dedicated to a particular facet of Mayan culture, yet presents each one as a step on the Soothsayer’s journey. The best kind of non-fiction is one that does not merely repeat facts but tells the reader a story and that is exactly what this book does. Throughout it, the author throws in additional facts, but they always relate to the main topic of the section and are accompanied by colorful illustrations. Illustrations are important no matter what the level of reader. They help them visualize the topic of the text.
The illustrations while stylized to be appealing to the intended audience, do seem faithful to current historical hypotheses. The costumes, objects, buildings and other details seem factually accurate if perhaps a bit simplified. Bookworm is not an expert, so he would not know. The stylization mostly revolves around the human characters, which are rather funny and full off cartoonish exaggerations. Some may argue that they not ethnically accurate but remember: this book is primarily marketed to kids.
Final Verdict: While by no means an in depth examination of Mayan culture, this little book is a perfect introduction to the people of ancient Central America, either for firing the imagination of young minds or serving as a bite-sized serving of culture for a curious amateur.
Four Mayan Pyramids out of Five
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews