Drawing on, and quoting short passages from, original sources, Ray retraces the early life of renowned naturalist John Wesley Powell—highlighting his 1869 venture through the Grand Canyon and the follow-up expedition of 1871. She only actually shows his disability (incurred early in a heroic Civil War career) in the final picture, but repeated mentions make it a recurring theme of the spare, well-organized narrative; being one-handed doesn’t seem to have slowed him down at all, though once a rope-less colleague had to help him up a cliff by lowering a pair of trousers. With a palette of warm reds and browns, Ray creates slightly soft-focus illustrations that follow Powell from youth to maturity, and capture the scale and rugged beauty of the western landscape. Rounded off with a look at Powell’s distinguished later career, as well as a back matter that includes an author’s note, chronology and a substantial reading list, this follows Ray’s Flower Hunter: William Bartram, America’s First Naturalist (2004) in raising the profile of one of our country’s important but lesser-known explorers. (Picture book/biography. 8-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-374-31838-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
From Kroll (Lewis and Clark, 1994, etc.), a handsomely illustrated biography that introduces a fascinating historical figure and will make readers yearn for more information. The facts are covered, including Fulton’s stints as sign painter, air-gun inventor, and apprentice jeweler; Kroll states clearly which details cannot be pinned down, and the probable order of events and incidents. The text is informative and lively, although in places the transitions are abrupt, e.g., one of the only references to Fulton’s personal life—“Meanwhile, on January 7, 1808, Fulton had married Harriet Livingston. She bore him four children”—quickly reverts to details on the building of boats. Warm gold-toned paintings convey a sense of times past and complement the text. Especially appealing are the depictions of the steamships. A welcome volume. (chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1433-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
A lesson presented in a way that is at once natural and fascinating. Major (The Land and People of Malaysia and Brunei, 1991, etc.) follows a caravan along the silk route from China to Byzantium, during the Tang Dynasty (a.d. 618906). Readers travel through Central Asia, Persia, and Arabia, take in scenic views, and stop in cities blooming with more-than-Oriental splendor. The book covers several topics in an entertaining stylethe silk trade, religions and languages, the roles of different animals in Asian culturesall while carefully describing the geography of Asia and providing succinct snapshots of the different cultures pierced by the silk route. In addition, there are three pages of notes at the end. The illustrations are packed with aromatic details that convey the atmospheres of the different locations visited. Fieser's scenes are well-chosen (bustling marketplaces, close-ups of merchants and camels, spectacular landscapes), executed in a somewhat fluid, delicate fashion; these are pretty, but don't provide a substantial balance for the text. However, the big, two-page map at the beginning of the book is invaluable. A trip well worth taking. (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10)*justify no*
Pub Date: June 30, 1995
ISBN: 0-06-022924-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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