Foundations of Chinese Civilization

Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 220 CE) 
Jing Liu
series: Understanding China Through Comics

• Age Range: 11 - 17 years
• Grade Level: 6 - 12

3/5 stars

I was given this book by the Amazon Vine program in return for an honest review.

This first volume of  Foundations of Chinese Civilization covers the earliest known history of China.  It is told in graphic novel format.  The font is excellent and the illustrations good.  The book covers the history, philosophies, and education systems of the time. 

 It is packed full of facts, but it is sadly dull.*  It comes alive when it focuses on one person, such as Confucius or Cai Lun, but when the book is giving general history, it is as dry as any text book.  It certainly gives an amazing amount of information in it's 155 pages,  but I feel that it will be a chore for most people to read, especially the intended audience.

*Please don't accuse me of not understanding history books.  I have a B.A. in history, and I know that it can be made lively and interesting.

Note: This is my opinion; on Amazon, 82% of the reviews were 5 stars.