The title is misleading—this slim picture book would be more accurately described as a very simplistic encyclopedia. The information is arranged by topic area including homes, toys, clothing and travel in North America during the mid- to late 19th century. The topics focus on how Victorian England influenced American life during this period. Topics are introduced with 2-3 sentence paragraphs which offer a cursory explanation. The major focus though is on the elaborate illustrations which occupy more than half of every page. Most are colored drawings with a few photographs and black-and-white illustrations.