The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia {Book Review}

The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia is a great addition to your homeschool Mesopotamia unit study, and is especially aimed at younger students.

Do check out my MEGA Mesopotamia Unit Study post to find out just where the seven cities fit into the history of Mesopotamia. This huge post has lots of printable, videos and science experiments. It also stacks of suggestions for easy hands on activities you can do with your children! I am always adding new stuff to this post so do go and check it out.

The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia is a fantastic resource to add to your Mesopotamia Unit Study. As the title suggests, it will take you and your little ones on a journey through the main towns which thrived during the height of the Mesopotamia era. These include: Urek, Akkad, Ashur, Babylon, Nimrod, Nineveh and Persepolis. However, this treasure of a book contains so much more, as we shall see in this book review.

What is The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia About?

The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia is a book aimed at 6-12 year olds. It is written in large writing as a non-fiction book. Whilst the book mainly covers the seven cities mentioned, it also contains a wealth of information about the ‘Cradle of Civilisation’. It mentions the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, the plain where Mesopotamia people dwelt, the beginnings of Mesopotamia, farming and domestication, cuneiform, religion, Gilgamesh…basically everything you would expect in a book about Mesopotamia.

Alongside these short paragraphs are a large collection of illustrations and photos. These are sure to pique your child’s interest. Each page contains just one or two sentences in large, easy-to-read font. This is not a book which goes into any depth. However, it works well as an introduction to Mesopotamia. And, if you are teaching multiple ages, it will appeal to your younger students.

My Thoughts

This is a perfect introductory text to Mesopotamia but does not go in-depth into the fascinating history of Mesopotamia. It is perfect for an emerging reader to read alone. The sentences are short and sparse. In addition, the illustrations and photos are extensive and well chosen. The whole look of the inside of the book is ‘Mesopotamia-esque’ which adds a nice touch. I would recommend this book as a great addition to a Mesopotamia unit study, and perfect to be added to your adventure box. However, it requires support from other resources to be sufficient in its written content.