Time Atlas: An Interactive Timeline of History

by Robert Hegarty, Marcelo Badari (Illustrator)

Travel through time and take part in a chronological journey with this interactive book, filled with flaps and novelty elements. Prepare to chart a brief history of the world and its inhabitants. 
From dinosaurs to DNA, and from reed boats to rockets, celebrate the landmarks and inventions that have made our planet what it is today and pose the where do we go from here?

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Picture Books

18 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2017

Reviews

[Mrs. Melaugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the surface, this looks like a well-done set of timelines featuring lift-the-flaps, and in fact, the book is well constructed of heavy cardboard with sturdy pages and flaps. However, the type is so tiny as to be almost illegible. Graphics are plentiful, but likewise small in order to fit on the pages. No rationale is given for how the choices were made as to what to include leading to puzzling situations such as the “People” page where among the sixteen individuals featured are such completely unrelated personages as Plato, Boudicca, Shakespeare, and Charlie Chaplin.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a 3.5 for me. I'm always a sucker for interactive timelines and books that focus on a topic from a historical perspective, which is just what this handsome oversized book does. Not only does the opening section include directions on how to use a timeline, a skill often not covered in today's classrooms, but it then takes readers through our planet's various periods, starting with the Triassic and ending with the Holocene Epoch. Some readers may become confused with the jump from period to epoch, but just about everyone will enjoy the snippets of information provided along the timeline at the bottom of the page and the 7 lift-the-flap elements that reveal additional information. The other double-page spreads focus on "Civilization," "Greatest Buildings," "The Arts," "Transportation," "Inventions," "Daily Life," "People & Sport," and "What's Next?" While I enjoyed each of these, it might have been helpful to provide a brief explanation for why the book's author decided to narrow his focus to these topics rather than others, say, health and medicine or religious practices, for instance. I'm not arguing with his choices, just seeking a rationale for the choices. A sure favorite of young readers will have to be the lineup of 16 buildings, starting with the Great Pyramid of Khufu from 2550 B.C. and ending with Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which has a flap that lifts up toward the top of the page. I must confess that I have absolutely no desire to scale the heights of that structure or Taipei 101, the next tallest building in the world. This is a well-designed, wonderfully interactive book that takes readers back to the past, the present, and in some cases, the future. The book was published by 360 DEGREES, an imprint of Tiger Tales, a publishing house that is impressing me with the quality of its offerings.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent interactive timeline for the youngest history buff. Well made with board like pages, the information that is included from the beginning of time to the future is very thorough while at the same time easy for young readers to understand.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading interactive timelines and was excited to read this one. However, this was a difficult read. There's lots of good information whole bunch of timelines that cover earth through time from
prehistoric eras to modern times. Hegarty looks at changes in time in civilizations, greatest buildings, arts, transportation, inventions, daily life, people & sports, and what's next. There are interesting choices of what is included and what isn't. At first glance, pages don't feel super wordy, but the print is very tiny (a colleague thought it might be 8 pt. print). Lots of information is crammed in and flaps allow you to see more print. All in all for its merits, I'd give it a 2.5 for its potential and good information, but not super accessible delivery.