Reference Sunday: Through Time: Olympics by Richard Platt

Last night while flipping channels on the TV I stopped to watch some Olympic qualifying Diving competitions.  I felt so bad for the team who came in second...they missed winning by a literal hair.   This is why I am not much into sports....I always feel sorry for those who lose.   Anyway I realized that the Summer Olympics in London were fast approaching so I thought I would recommend a book that would be a great way for kids to prepare for the fun.  

Through Time: Olympics by Richard Platt and published by Kingfisher is a great illustrated history of the Olympic games.   It starts with the history of the games all the way back to ancient times. It  concludes with the London 2012 games.  The book talks about each host city and nation giving the reader information about the cultural and social impact the games had on their cities.   There are details about the events themselves with listings of records that were broken as well as the major highlights of each game. I especially liked the illustrations and the wonderful cross-sections that show with meticulous detail the stadiums and cities throughout time.  A perfect way to introduce the Olympics to a child and to help them enjoy them more.   This also makes a great gift for the young sportsperson in your life.