The Story of Britain: From the Norman Conquest to the European Union by Patrick Dillon, illustrated by P.J. Lynch Ages 10+ 352 pages Candlewick February 2011 Hardcover     Stunningly illustrated, this history of Britain covers a lot of territory although not in great depth. Most events and political developments such as Agincourt, The Gunpowder Plot, and The Great Reform Act and famous aristocrats, members of the royal family and politicians are discussed in just a page or two of text. The bite-size bits of information the reader finds will serve as an introduction to the subject matter. That is not to suggest, though, that this is not in itself a valuable research tool. Not only does the author offer a comprehensive (albeit cursory) look at the history of the country, but the maps, timelines and illustrations will place events and people in the correct chronological order and offer a valuable starting point for the study of British history. Once the reader’s curiosity has been whet by perusing these pages, the youngster can be directed to other books that will provide a more detailed account of the topic.     web reviews   Bob Walch/2011 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)