When I received this, I had... doubts. Of course, it was Sarah Albee, whose work I always find enjoyable and informative, but a giant fold-out book? Was this something I could put in the library? I was pleasantly surprised to see how sturdy it was and I think I will try adding it and see how it lasts.

The "story" starts around 13,000 BCE. You can read it like a book, turning the pages for one side and then flipping back to read the second half, or you can spread the whole thing out and then turn it over. Short paragraphs surround and interweave the illustrations with facts, events, and interesting information. Longer paragraphs, on a white background, set major milestones for the continent, from the spread of humans to the invasion of Europeans.

The illustrations are primarily in muted hues of blue, peach, and yellow, with touches of white, brown, and green. The text is set against small colored sections with mini black arrows pointed towards the relevant illustrations.

A huge draw of this for me, besides the unique format, was that Albee does an amazing job of giving an unbiased, truly broad overview of North American history. Rather than devoting an inordinate amount of space to relatively minor events in the US (why do so many history books think kids absolutely must know extensive details about the Pony Express?) she gives plenty of space to events in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the lives of indigenous people before and after the arrival of Europeans. This is shown even in the source materials, like the map at the end which shows the states of the US... and the states of Mexico! How many maps show those, or just shove a blank "Mexico" in there?

There is a glossary, index (tied to the date ranges since there are no page numbers), and source notes.

Verdict: Although this may not last long, it's a unique and important resource. It would make a great classroom addition and, I think with some reinforcement, might last quite a while on library shelves.

ISBN: 9781999967925; Published October 2019 by What on Earth; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library