While "recorded history" was cut into stones and written down on tablets, scrolls, and in books, a lot of un-recorded history was preserved in handmade folk arts - woven, carved, and painted on everyday handmade objects people used for hundreds and even thousands of years. Handmade History: World History Through Folk Arts and Crafts takes young readers on a globe-spanning journey discovering these handmade treasures that have survived empires and carried the voices of everyday people across centuries. From Persian carpets and Ghana's Kente cloth to Appalachian quilts, Scottish tartans, Italian maiolica, and Turkish coffee pots, this book reveals how folk art is an enduring record of faith, resistance, and cultural identity, as well as survival through wars, migrations, colonization, and transition into the era of mass-produced goods and consumer society.
This book seeks to teach art appreciation and cultural literacy to our kids and teens, giving their outlook a worldly, globally-aware polish through visual fluency in recognizing world-famous folk arts from across 6 continents. High fashion, design, and the travel industry have made the aesthetics of traditional crafts from around the world familiar to most of us - be they Indian block-printed fabric motifs and Southwestern concho belts in "boho" outfits, Indonesian batik patterns on sofa cushions or blue-and-white Dutch tiles in the kitchen... With this book, our kids will learn to recognize folk art motifs and will know not only the stories of these crafts, but also how these stories are woven into the larger fabric of world history.
Why our young people will love this book:
• The book narrative is story-driven. Each chapter unfolds through real historical events, documented anecdotes, and legends. Chapters are short and heavily-illustrated - perfect for "reluctant readers."
• Themes that matter today: we discuss cultural preservation and how traditions fight to survive commercial globalization and mass culture.
• The book overflows with fascinating facts, as we explore techniques, materials, symbolism, and the social role of each craft, showing how aesthetics arise from human experience.
• "Handmade History" supplements standard world history and American history school curricula, supporting such themes as the Age of Exploration & Global Trade, Colonialism & Resistance, Migration & Diaspora, the Industrial Revolution, Globalization, and more.
Who this book is for:
• Kids and teens ages 10-16 who love art, history, and travel
• Parents & homeschoolers seeking rich, cross-disciplinary learning that sparks conversation
• Teachers & librarians looking for engaging, standards-aligned supplements for world history, social studies, or visual arts
