History is so full of stories and events that it is sometimes difficult for children to get a good grasp of it. One way to aid in this is to read the history of the world to them, in chronological order, and have them illustrate the events in their own cartoon history book. The illustrations can be as simple as stick figures or as complicated as full color masterpieces. The point is to simply help them digest the information in a fun way. While not meant as an all-encompassing reference, the stories in this book will serve as a “hook” for them to refer back to when learning new information.

Here are some guidelines to get you started on making your own Cartoon History of the World:

1. Provide your child with a blank sketchbook.
2. Read a chapter from the spine book –V.M. Hillyer’s A Child’s History Of The World gives a very basic overview and works great as a starting point.
3. Have your child select from a scene or story and illustrate it in his notebook.
4. While he’s drawing, read more on the same time period from another book — Susan Bauer’s Story Of The World covers just about everything A Child’s History of the World does, only more in depth. The more he hears (different versions of) a story, the more it will stick.
5. As he is more familiar with the process, encourage your child to add more details and written descriptions in his notebook. 
6. Review often. Ask your child to read selections from his book to you, either before the start of a new chapter, or throughout the week. This reinforces memory and also builds pride in his work. 
7. If he encounters a subject or time period of particular interest, he can always add supplemental pages to his notebook with the additional information.

Photo by amida.