The Mesopotamian civilization was a LONG time ago, but its level of sophistication, innovation, and advancements were truly amazing. Ancient Mesopotamia was the cradle of civilization, with legacies that can be traced throughout all the subsequent great civilizations of old. However, many educational units on ancient civilizations for kids skip
over learning about the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians (known
collectively as Mesopotamians).
This is unfortunate. Time in the crowded school day is at a premium, but we recommend that if your curriculum includes ancient civilizations for kids, you should consider squeezing in a few lessons on the Mesopotamian civilization at the beginning. This civilization that invented language, made great advancements in agriculture, is the home of the first written story, etc...
Children who learn about the Mesopotamian civilization first will
be able to see its legacies in later civilizations and understand how
subsequent developments were built on early advances made in ancient
Mesopotamia. Below are some books
on ancient Mesopotamia for kids. There aren't very many available so our
list isn't terribly long. We'll keep looking for more.
Gilgamesh the King
(The Gilgamesh Trilogy)
by Ludmila Zeman
3rd grade - 6th grade
The Revenge of Ishtar
(The Gilgamesh Trilogy)
by Ludmila Zeman
3rd grade - 6th grade
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh
(The Gilgamesh Trilogy)
by Ludmila Zeman
3rd grade - 6th grade
Lugalbanda
The Boy Who Got Caught
Up in a War
by Kathy Henderson
3rd grade & Up
DK Eyewitness Mesopotamia
by Philip Steele
4th grade & Up
The Golden Bull
by Marjorie Cowley
5th grade - 8th grade
Ancient Mesopotamia
Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians
by Virginia Schomp
6th grade - 8th grade
Gilgamesh the Hero
by Geraldine McCaughrean
6th grade - 9th grade