This book is by no means new. In fact, my copy has been around so long that I did not have to buy it when my sons and I reached this particular time period in our history studies because my husband still had his hardback copy from when he'd used it during an architecture class in college. In fact, if you were to look in the reviews index, you would find Cathedral listed as children's fiction for both ages 9-12 and 13 and up, a world history resource, and an architecture resource. It is all of these things.

Cathedral tells the fictional story of a village called Chutreaux and the results of its decision, in the year 1252, to build a new cathedral. This oversized (over 9"x12") book is filled with fabulously intricate pen-and-ink illustrations that make it delightful to look at even if you aren't in the mood to read and the story is fascinating enough to keep a reader enthralled for a very long time.

Here, as in his other books, Macaulay presents entirely accurate historical information in such a way that it comes across as pure fun. While reading Cathedral, you really do learn how the great cathedrals were built (which is why this was a required book in my husband's architecture class) and finally find the answers to your children's ever-present question, "How did they do that?!"

Macaulay has written other, similar books that are devoted to different time periods and topics, and to my knowledge all come in both hard and paperback. Whether you are studying Egypt or the Middle Ages, cities or the way things work (which also happens to be one of his book titles), archeology (Motel of the Mysteries, an awesome book!) or something else entirely, you would do well to see if David Macaulay has written about it.