What it was like in… Ancient Benin

About this book

This engaging non-fiction book about Ancient Benin is the sixth title in the What it was like in … historical series for KS2 readers. This volume explores the everyday lives of the Edo people, who lived in the Kingdom of Benin in West Africa from the twelfth century. Although small, the country was rich and powerful for around 700 years, until its demise in the nineteenth century, with the arrival of European traders and the devastating slave trade, which decimated its population.  

The book examines how and where Edo families lived, their culture, skills, food and beliefs. To provide context, a map at the start of the book shows where the former Kingdom of Benin was situated, as well as the location of present-day Benin.  

As with all titles from this publisher, this book is extremely accessible and includes black-and-white illustrations throughout. It is specially edited to help minimise barriers to comprehension, and the content is aimed at the age of the child rather than their reading age. In addition, it features a dyslexia-friendly font to help avoid confusing letter shapes and tinted pages to reduce visual stress. 

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