Swords

I love Candlewick‘s books because they are so creative and clever. I have spoken before about how you can start to tell which books have been published by which publisher just by looking at them. Candlewick books are becoming very familiar to me, partly because I’ve spent so much time exploring their “inventory” and partly because they just have a notable creativity about them.

My youngster is excited about knights in shining armor and so having a book arrive that is all about swords was a feast and a delight! Swords is written and illustrated by Ben Boos with “an artist’s devotion.” This book is a result of Boos’ lifelong fascination with swords and this entire book shows his love for this weapon of choice.

He divides Swords up into sections, focusing on swords used by warriors, war maidens, knights and even ninjas. It is a fairly thorough look at swords across the globe and across time. At the beginning of each section there is a brief history and explanation for the swords you will see in that section. There is a map of the country or area that the swords originated in and then there is a brief description of each type of sword design. Boos takes a look at the intricacies of various blade designs as well as their form and function. Each section also contains a full page spread of artwork in which Boos pictures a variety of swords or just a few blades or hilts for the reader to examine.

My son loved this book but so did I! I love it’s simplicity in layout, and yet the special attention to detail that Boos gives to each weapon. It’s a fantastic resource and introduction into the world of swords.

We give Swords four thumbs up (mine and my son’s)!

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.