The Bottom Line
Gladiators would be a suitable gift for a child who has expressed interest in the Roman Colosseum and gladiators. It should be appropriate for ages 7-10 or a bit older.
Pros
- Wonderful detail on the pop-up colosseum
- Nice map and detail on the colosseum and Rome
- Charming story
Cons
- Colosseum is wobbly
- Story contains improbable background
- Doesn't seem to be a set
Description
- A three part foldout with Colosseum taking up 1.5 sections plus a map.
- A game board with Roman numerals for Tabula, which reminds me of Mancala.
- A gladiator trading card game set.
- A story about people at the Colosseum, by Toby Forward and illustrated by Steve Noon.
- David Hawcock is the paper engineer.
- From Candlewick Press.
Guide Review - Gladiators, From Candlewick Press
My initial reaction to the package called "Gladiators," from Candlewick Press, is that it's a sleek introduction to Gladiators and Roman history suitable for the stated age, 7 and up. I also thought that it would work very well for a homeschool cooperative to purchase and adapt. It might work well in a small class in a regular school, as well.
Upon assembling the Colosseum, however, I was disappointed that it didn't sit right. It is lovely and impressive, but perhaps a homeschool group that doesn't need to fold it up and then insert it in a three part folder would come up with a design that wasn't wobbly. The story in the little book is sweet, but shouldn't be taken for historically reliable fact. The card game frankly didn't interest me, but would probably be fun for younger students.
I do not understand the connection among the different parts of the set.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
