Robert Byrd book reviews

Read the reviews from: Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything.

Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subject—a man who liked to live large, building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch, siring a hundred children, throwing birthday bashes for 40,000 guests. He ruled over the greatest empire of the time, one that was lightyears ahead of Western civilization in terms of the arts, sciences, and technology. With astonishingly beautiful and detailed illustrations by Robert Byrd and a clever text by Kathleen Krull, this portrait finally gives Kubla Khan his due.

Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews

Read the reviews from the 2008 Newberry Award wining book

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village

By Laura Amy Schlitz. Illustrated by Robert Byrd. The author of A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama (2006), Schlitz turns to a completely different kind of storytelling here. Using a series of interconnected monologues and dialogues featuring young people living in and around an English manor in 1255, she offers first-person character sketches that build upon each other to create a finer understanding of medieval life. Byrd's lively ink drawings are a handsome addition to this well-designed book.

Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews

Read the reviews from the award-winning book Leonardo - Beautiful Dreamer

Awards: The Golden Kite for excellence in Children's Books. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Penguin Young Readers Group. Best Children's Book 2003 -
non-fiction. Publishers Weekly. 2004 CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for
Young people. 2004 Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book. 2004 Norman Sugerman Award
for Children's Biography. 2004-5 Main Student Book Award nominee.

Read the reviews from: Barbarians!

Describes, in a chapter each, the way of life for Goths, Huns, Vikings, and Mongols; the politival, economic, and societal pressures that caused them to leave their homes; and the leaders who successfully changed their boundaries of influence. Byrd's watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations add a level of detail that will help children visualize the different groups of men, women, and children.

Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst - St. Christopher's School
Kirkus Reviews

Read the reviews from: The Hero and the Minotaur

Lavishly illustrated and impeccably researched, this is a dynamic retelling of one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. Join Theseus as he solves the mystery of his birth, vanquishes a colorful cast of robbers, and volunteers to slay the frightful half-bull, half-man devouring the children of Athens. In a captivating tale for readers of all ages, destinies tragic and glorious splendidly unfold.This is a sure bet for fans of mythology and a wonderful introduction for readers who have not yet discovered the fascinating world of the ancient Greeks.

School Library Journal
Booklist