The Illustrated Latin-English Parallel Text by David Krus Cruise Scientific
book review by Peter M. Ftizpatrick
"To closely associate parallel texts, definite and indefinite articles were deleted whenever feasible"
The omission of definite (this, that) and indefinite (someone, something, anyone, anything) articles is a good idea because Latin articles have five declensions and three genders. That is exemplary of the difficulty of learning Latin, the grammar. The author bypasses it. The reader begins reading and associating Latin phrases without having to memorize rules. The colorful pictures and Latin phrases with parallel English equivalents silently show that Latin places the object before the verb. The simple phrases on subjects as diverse as anatomy and occupations in the first long chapter give a fairly wide overview of Latin vocabulary. The second chapter introduces more complex literary constructions from both classical and medieval Latin texts. The final chapter contains lists of "wisdom" quotes from writers like Vergil and Julius Caesar organized by the Latin letter beginning the phrase. This is followed by a handy index for easy access to specific topics.
This is a large 8" by 10" text with color pictures and easy-to-read text that makes for easy transition between the two columns. For someone thoroughly trained in the phonics method, a pronunciation guide might have been handy. By using the "all Latin C's, G's, and T's are hard, V's pronounced like W" rule, you can hear the echoes of Spanish and Italian by reading the phrases aloud. A great boost to one's confidence, the quick immersion without tedious grammar drills is great for both adult learners and younger students.