The Timelessness of D.K. Eyewitness Books.
Recently, I came across a selection of D.K. Eyewitness Books on a communal book sharing table. Suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of pleasant memories from weekends spent with my mother in the local library, I sorted through the selections and took "The American Revolution" and "Ancient Greece" for my classroom. They're certainly a relic of their time (Just look at that included ClipArt CD, what a value!). After thumbing through, I wanted to share what a wholesome experience I had and extol the value of these books for all ages.
Immediately, the first thing you notice about these books is that the imagery on display is masterfully curated. Each title showcases dozens of historical relics. Illustrations are also utilized, including primary sources from the time period (such as portraits or propaganda posters) along with modern charts, maps and artistic depictions. Many historical nonfiction projects struggle to convey a real life sense of color, especially for time periods after the invention of black and white photography. Impressively, the D.K. Eyewitness creators always achieve a vibrant and varied color palette for whatever subject matter is being discussed. In the American Revolution, readers are treated to view surviving artifacts running the range of teapots to pistols, which helps to uphold the reader's suspension of disbelief.
While I do think it's natural for younger readers to gloss over the passages in favor of the art (Perhaps understandably so!), the literary content on offer here is no slouch. D.K. Eyewitness books are officially targeted to ages 9-12. I think it would be more appropriate to say 9-12 is a suggestion, and not in any manner a binding framework. ALL readers will not only be able to enjoy these books, but may obtain significant informational value from them. As a social studies teacher I'm familiar with both Ancient Greece and The American Revolution, but we should never consider ourselves too old to learn new things, or too dignified to discriminate against where such knowledge comes from. Reading a D.K. Eyewitness book is an experience that may not challenge you, but it will enrich you. You won't need to reach for a dictionary, but you will almost certainly be culturally enhanced and gain either foundational knowledge of the subject matter or at the very least, new conversational material to share with friends and family.
Ultimately, I think one of the main reasons these titles are so charming is the form factor. Today, the internet has made incalculable amounts of information instantly available. This is of course, mostly positive. But in the technological transition we lost the art of a well curated encyclopedia. We lost the art of a deliberately crafted compilation of art and information that's designed to be an experience, not a utility. Reading a D.K. Eyewitness book feels less like a cheap and quick web search of a topic, and more like an intentional immersion into one.
Thank you for reading,
- 33rd President