In this picture book for older readers, Kimmel and San Souci bring the story of Montezuma's fall vividly to life. This is not an uncomplicated story, yet Kimmel presents it with ease, introducing readers first to the Aztec empire and its ruler, Montezuma. He discusses the unrest of the Aztec's subject people and describes the coming of Cortes, who used the conquered people to help him defeat the Aztec. Also crisply described are the strategies planned by each side to trick the other. Cortes, of course, prevailed, and the book ends at the siege of Tenochtitlan. Using traditional Aztec motifs and bright colors--jungle green, turquoise blue, sunset pink--San Souci does a fine job of juxtaposing the Aztec with the gray-armored Spanish soldiers, who have come to claim the land for Spain. Some of the pictures are static, but the colors enliven even the stationary scenes. This is a good introduction to a pivotal event in the Americas, and children who find the text easy to read may want more information, though the appended reading list seems to contain books that are more for adults than children. —Ilene Cooper, Booklist
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