This colourful adventure story set in ancient Rome is a novel concept, involving not only reading but engagement via puzzles and questions scattered throughout, and plenty of simple Latin phrases for young learners to translate with the aid of a sturdy pull-out guide attached to the back cover. This comprises Roman numerals, months, days, gods, Latin phrases used in the text, and a mini-dictionary of 70 Latin words. Clear guidance on how to use this section is given at the start of the book.
The storyline involves two youngsters, Julius and Flavia, who overhear a plot against the emperor and try to warn him whilst being chased through Rome by the baddies. This is a vehicle for introducing the reader to the usual features of Roman society and topography, e.g. the Campus Martius, the Pantheon, baths, the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus and a Roman triumph. ‘Did you know?’ roundels impart succinct facts about the topic being covered. Solutions to the puzzles and questions are at the back, together with an age-appropriate glossary.
The Latin vocabulary is recondite but amusing. For example, on p24 move tuum magnum culum, amice! (that last word appears erroneously as amici in the guide) is translated as ‘Move your big bottom, pal!’ And latinists may raise their eyebrows at qui rather than quis in qui bonum panem facit? (p24 and guide), ‘Who makes good bread?’ The main howler however is the phrase for Thursday, the day of Jove, rendered on p33 and in the guide as dies Lovis rather than dies Iovis. In some fonts an upper case i is identical to a lower case l. Perhaps this will be altered in a subsequent edition.
I found the main narrative font a little on the small side, but that’s a minor quibble. The language is well-pitched at the 7-11 age range. I can see keen and inquisitive young readers flicking back and forth through the pages to search out clues, crack the codes and solve the various questions posed. And if it sows some seeds encouraging young minds to look further into Latin it has to be a good thing!
Bob Bass
The Plot Against The Emperor: An Ancient Roman Puzzle Mystery by Andy Seed
Illustrated by James Weston Lewis
Nosy Crow 2023
ISBN
978 1 83994 645 5
£8.99
