Where is the Great Wall

New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 2015. Second printing [stated]. Trade paperback. Very good. Jerry Hoare. Format is approximately 5.25 inches by 7.75 inches. [6], 106 pages. Illustrations. Symbols of China. Timelines. Bibliography. Maps. Foldout map at back, perforations not opened. Cover has slight wear and soiling. The author wrote on her website: My young sons tackled their lives with gusto. The books that we read to them at night fueled their imaginations—and mine, too. They inspired me to start writing picture books. The first one starred a funny parrot who starts talking "bad" when his feelings are hurt. (Max the Bad-Talking Parrot.) As my boys started school, I delighted in all they were learning. My writing veered off in a whole new direction, inspired by my passion for the natural world. I started to write nonfiction books for young readers, packed with juicy stuff—like snakes that swallowed a whole pig in one bite (Snakes); old graying gorillas called silverbacks (Gorillas); weird creatures that swim blindly in the dark, cold deep sea (Way Down Deep). Recently, I've written a number of books for the Who Was...? What Was...? series (Penguin/Random House). Real people, real life: they're a real thrill to write about. Whenever I read about interesting things, I can't wait to tell my readers. Illustrator Jerry Hoare works in several mediums but he has a penchant for line work-- thick, thin or crosshatch. His work is reminiscent of an engraver who rarifies line to depict tonal change. He seamlessly mixes traditional and digital mediums to achieve his unique look. His work has been recognized with awards and exhibitions. More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname--the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able to tell the story of China itself, the rise and fall of dynasties, the greatness of its culture, and its present-day status as a Communist world power.