For a few years now, I have been seeking better grammar level books on Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Assyria, and Babylon. When I saw this new book from Allison Lassieur and Scholastic, I was hopeful that this would plug the hole in our home school library. I eagerly requested it from our library. 
 Unfortunately, I find myself disappointed. I just cannot figure out how this book is organized. I am growing increasingly fond of the chronological approach and perhaps I am too easily put off by texts that elect not to use it. I cannot help but feel that this work would have been enhanced by a chronological approach. The decision to start with Cyrus' conquering of Babylon in 539 BC and then meander through 10,000 years of history (dates of the author not mine), ending around the time of Christ is perplexing. 
 The other obvious limitation is a lack of maps. Not until page 49 of 100 do we see a map, even though the topic of the book is Mesopotamia (the land between the rivers). And the map provided does not contain key geographic features referenced in the text, such as the Zagros and Taurus mountains, the Indus river valley and the general divisions of northern and southern Mesopotamia. The text references "modern day Turkey" while the map says "Anatolia", and similiar for Iran/ Persia. The land of modern day Israel is referenced as "Judah" on the map though neither Israel nor Judah appear in the text. 
 Photographs and line drawings work well together to give an impression of artifacts and artist expression of the people and place, but the photographs for "The Past is the Present" seem strangely out of place. These modern insertions are sure to date the book quickly, and seem unwisely chosen for a composition that would age well and only call for revision in the event of a major discovery. "The Past is the Present" feature topics were wisely selected and well written, but the manner of layout made them confusing (is this a new chapter? a new section?). 
 This is not the book I'm seeking to fill our educational needs. The Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World remains a better, though brief, resource. Pity. I shall continue to look. Please let me know if you find anything.