Vikings in 30 Seconds

*thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Kids for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.
Im impressed! This was really informative. I love Norse Mythology so I knew Id love this but I didnt expect it to have so much facts and details of what life was like for Vikings. I do think that the title is bit misleading though. Unless you are a fast reader, '30 seconds' isnt really enough time to take in it all on each page. For some it could be spot on, but not everybody will read it at this rate. Still, its really good. The illustrations are colorful and fit well with the story. Its aimed at middle grade readers, but even adults will enjoy this. No matter if you are new to Vikings and Norse Mythology, or an old pro at the topic, I still think this book will be enjoyable to read.

I love when I read a children's book and find facts that I was not aware of.

This is another in the series of "30 second" fact bites of information, this time on Vikings.

We learn about how four of the days of the week, in English, are still named after Viking gods. We learn that Vikings did not have horns on their helmets, and what their helmets looked like. We learn that Vikings used to play games and sing songs.

They had something called "kennings" which were word puzzles. They played board games and sang, but we don't know what their music sounded like, because when outsiders came to hear it they said it sounded like dogs howling.

Fun, and quick read. Great for children to learn about Vikings.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I'm really enjoying the 30 Second series of books. A fun way to learn.

<i>Vikings in 30 Seconds</i> is an informative and nicely illustrated picture book that explains the world of Vikings to children. While I have some basic knowledge, I can't call myself an expert on this topic, which is why I felt that I even learned some fun facts that were knew to me!

The book is divided into six different chapters: In <b>Lands and Peoples</b> we learn how the Vikings lived in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, how they're society was structured and how their law functioned.

<b>Seafarers</b> focusses on the ships that people in northern Europe used for travel and explorations. It explains how they build their boats, spend dangerous time on sea, but also used their longboats to attack villages in quick, violent raids in search for plunder that was easy to carry: gold, silver, weapons, tools or furs and jewellery.

<b>Raiders and fighters</b> tells us more about the Viking warriors, their armour and armies. Fun-fact: helmets were round or conical and didn't have horns on them, even though in modern days they are often depicted with such! Away from the dangers of battles they lived their <b>Everyday life</b>, which consisted of farming, living in longhouses, foods and feasts, but also fun and games. <b>Religions and beliefs</b> gives a short overview of the Nordic Gods and Goddesses, the funerals and customs and how things changed when the Vikings became Christian. In <b>the Wider World</b> we come to understand how far they already managed to travel, reaching not only Western Europe and Eastern lands, but even crossing the North Atlantic.

Something I didn't know was that a seafarer named Gunnbjörn Ulfsson was the first Viking to sight Greenland after having been blown off course in a storm. It was later called <i>Greenland</i> to attract more settlers despite being a bleak and icy place. Cheeky!

All in all, this is a book that delivers a lot of information in a way that is easy to understand for children. The beautiful and large illustrations help a lot in making this fun to look at and read through and I would recommend this to people who would want their kids to learn more about the world of Vikings or who might fancy a bit of distraction themselves.

Having seen several other books in this ... in 30 Seconds series in my reviewing career, it was no surprise to me to find a book heavy on pictorial element as well as serious, educational matter. The concept of the time limit for every page is obviously spurious, but the depth of detail, and educational value of these books, are really quite high, making them easy to recommend - and this Viking entrant is no exception. I've yet to meet with one of these that isn't firmly appropriate for a school library, or for the shelves of the young enthusiast.

I think this book is a really fun way to share short bursts of information about Vikings. I like that there a cartoon illustrations throughout the book, which may make it a little less intimidating for children, especially reluctant readers. It's also good that there are glossaries in the book, because there a lot of words used that children may not be familiar with, but they can refer back to the glossary easily.

Thank you Netgalley for the review copy.
I really liked the 'straightforwardness' of this book. Although aimed at younger readers, it was a great introduction to the Vikings and their way of life and history. I liked the way the pages were split into sections and there wasn't too much writing. The colours were nice and bright and the activities were simple enough to appeal to all without costing the earth. My only criticism would be that the detail in the illustrations wasn't too clear and the title was a little misleading.
Overall, I was impressed though.

If you are a teacher, this book definitely deserves a space on your classroom shelf. It presents the facts of the Vikings in a way the kids will enjoy. The pictures also help to tell the story, particularly for those needing accommodations. The books contains many interesting facts that you and your students would enjoy!

Note: This book has Canadian/Australia/UK spelling for words, so if you are in the US, your students might wonder about the different spelling.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. As an educator, I struggle with the lack of sustained attention in my students. My sixth graders find TED Talks too long. I blame Vine. Because of this we contribute to this lack of focus by presenting them with shorter videos.

This book is useful for this population because it offers brief sections each detailing a different aspect of viking life, each concluding with a 3-second summary.

Vikings in 30 Seconds, written by Philip Steele and illustrated by Stef Murphy, is a non fiction book full of fast facts, mini missions, and engaging artwork. It is an introduction to one of the world’s most fascinating cultures. Children can discover all about these amazing warriors, including where they came from, their incredible skill as boat builders and seafarers and how they traded with and settled in other lands. Each topic is presented in a concise 30-second summary, supported by a 3-second flash soundbite and full-color artwork. Fun, active elements for kids to make-and-do support the topics, encouraging them to test, explore, and discover more.

Vikings in 30 Seconds is a colorful and well organized book that gives a good deal of information to interested readers. I liked the glossaries that included with each chapter, and the three minute activities that give the option for interested readers to take the learning to the next level. The short summaries and additional information combined with the illustration ad included facts that is included with each page makes sure that every kind of reader, and every style learner, has something for them on each page. This would be a great resource for those interested in history, vikings, and learning in general. It would make a good book for school and public libraries, as well as supporting related curriculum in the classroom.

Bright and colourfully presented, this "in 30 seconds" book about the Vikings is targeted at middle-grade readers but accessible by older students as well. It is well laid out and leaves information easily found. Illustrations are meaningful and show the lives of these well know historical people.
Overall, this is a pleasant read, that adds to information and one I would happily put in my youngster's library.

Vikings in 30 Seconds is a really fun way of learning more about vikings. Really informative (with just the right amount of information!) and suitable for middle grades through to adults. I really like the illustrations.

5 stars for this brilliantly designed history book for children.

Philip Steele's Vikings in 30 Seconds is ideal for ages 8 - 12 years but I think it is useful to just about anyone interested in Vikings - for example, I learned the meaning of 'pitched battle'. (Ahem. I had always assumed this was just an alternative term for a heated/fierce battle.)

The reason I have given this book 5 stars is because of its thoughtful, clean design and layout. There is a table of contents, glossary and index, which already puts this textbook head and shoulders above some children's non-fiction on the market. There are five main topics, including 'Everyday Life' and 'Religion and Beliefs', and each of these is broken down into topics such as 'Inside a longhouse' and 'Customs and Festivals'. Each of these topics fills a two-page spread and comprises, on the left-hand side, a '30 second' break-down of the topic, a one sentence summary ('3 second sum-up') and an activity/craft idea. The right-hand page is a clear and helpful full-page illustration by Stef Murphy. This simple structure works well: information is presented in an attractive way that is not daunting to young or less-confident readers. The reader, whether in the class-room or at home, learns in easy bite-sized chunks and must surely be tempted to continue reading.

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a marvelous book that students and families will enjoy. The "bite size" format is great for sharing fun and interesting bits of history with fellow students or with parents/siblings/friends. I highly recommend this book and this series!