The Mayan Indians, who lived in southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, and the Honduras over 3000 years ago, created a complex civilization that still fascinates us today. Their temples were huge structures of stucco and stone, sometimes ten to fifteen stories high. They Mayan priests were also astronomers and patiently observed, year after year, the movements of the stars and planets. Their calculations were amazingly accurate. Our astronomers calculate the solar year as 365.2422 days. The Maya calculated it as 365.2420 days.

The Maya of those days were rich, although their descendants, who still live in Central America, are considered poor. The farmers planted cornfields and built huts for their families out of wattle and thatch. There was pageantry in their lives, too, for each of the many Mayan ceremonies had its dancing, ball games, and feasting.

Sonia Bleeker tells of these ancient splendors in a narrative that is vivid and perceptive. The skilled illustrations by Kisa Sasaki not only show us what these unusual people were like, they reconstruct their impressive past.

From the dust jacket