Samurai

Manga fans are eager to learn about Japanese culture, as are children studying martial arts, and this gorgeously illustrated introduction won’t disappoint. Full-page, vintage photos feature practitioners dressed in Japanese armor; posing with bows and arrows; and at rest, in kimonos. Reproductions of period art reveal what battle was like for these warriors and portray the Japanese leaders who fought against them in the 1800s. Two-to-four large-font sentences per page discuss who the samurai were, and their history, weapons, beliefs, and training; in-text definitions are provided for the many terms with which children may be unfamiliar. The book also briefly profiles two famous samurai. The presentation is rounded out with a full-spread map showing where samurai, knights, gladiators, and pirates lived or operated, providing a springboard for further study.