The Panama Canal

February 1, 1999
Gr. 4^-6. From the author of "The Roman Colosseum" and other books in The Wonders of the World series comes a dynamic introduction to the building of the Panama Canal, from the failure of Ferdinand de Lesseps and the French to the opening of the U.S.-constructed canal on August 15, 1914, an event completely overshadowed by the start of World War I. Mann describes how President Theodore Roosevelt manipulated events by helping Panama rebel against Colombia and getting a treaty signed with Panama that gave the U.S. carte blanche to build the canal. There were many obstacles, such as rampant diseases (eventually conquered by Dr. William Gorgas), the hostile climate, the wild and destructive Chagres River, and the formidable Cordillera Mountains, which the canal had to cross. The author does not gloss over the many worker deaths and the poor living conditions and wages afforded the majority of the workers, who were blacks from the Caribbean islands of Barbados and Jamaica. Lush full-page paintings by Fernando Rangel convey a genuine sense of the tropical jungle as well as the building of the canal; archival photos and prints round out the visuals, which include a centerfold that shows how the locks raise and lower ships. This will serve well both as recreational reading and as material for report writers. ((Reviewed February 1, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)

December 1, 1998
Gr 3-6-A solid, approachable introduction to the often amazing story of the Panama Canal, complete with full-color illustrations and historical photos. Mann traces the starts and stops of the undertaking from its French origins to its completion by the Americans, fueled throughout by the labor of workers from all over the world. The construction of the canal, with its locks and dams, is not an easy subject to relate. However, the author manages to render the technical language in the simplest of terms. She also addresses the unfair working and living conditions of the many laborers from the Caribbean. A pull-out illustration of how the canal works is included. Tim McNeese's The Panama Canal (Lucent, 1997) is more thorough, but for younger readers, Mann's book more than suffices.-Carol Fazioli, The Brearley School, New York City, NY