This remarkable book presents fourteen historical explorations, from Pytheas the Greek's three-thousand-years-ago voyage to Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins's moon shot, with the question "how did they do that?" as focus. Detailed cross sections, often displayed in foldout segments, diagram each mode of transportation; maps abound, also within foldout pages. The text diligently differentiates between fact and opinion. Bib., glos., ind.

Ross and Biesty take readers on fourteen historical explorations, ranging from Pytheas the Greek's voyage to the Arctic three thousand years ago to Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins's moon shot in 1969. Although the human drive for discovery (think of Mary Kingsley traveling up the African OgoouŽ River in 1895 or Jacques Piccard descending almost thirty thousand feet to the Pacific's Mariana Trench in the mid-twentieth century) underlies each account, answering the "how did they do that?" question becomes the focus of this remarkable book. Detailed cross sections, often displayed in foldout segments, diagram each mode of transportation, including the Viking knarr ships, a caravansary for Marco Polo, and a mountaineer's clothing and equipment for Sir Edmund Hillary. Kids can not only study the parts of Zheng He's Chinese junk but also compare its construction to that of Columbus's square-rigged caravels or Captain Cook's bark, The Endeavor. Like the illustrations, each chapter can be examined alone, but there are also subtle connections between expeditions. Maps abound, again within foldout pages allowing a large enough scope to detail the travels of Magellan or the perspective to chart the winding trail of Sir Hillary. The care for detail is extended to the text in Ross's diligent differentiation between fact and opinion. Appended with an index, glossary, bibliography, and source notes for direct quotations. betty carter

Biesty's trademark amusing, informatively detailed illustrations are a highlight of this entertaining examination of several voyages of exploration. Brief chapters in chronological order are presented on durable, very light cardboard stock with backgrounds appropriate to the era of the voyage: parchment, notebook paper, graph paper, etc. Chapters cover an impressive range of exploration. In addition to the usual suspects, they include a 340 B.C.E. Greek voyage to the Arctic Circle; Chinese Admiral Zheng He to India; David Livingston and Mary Kingsley into the African interior; Umberto Nobile flying over the North Pole, August and Jacques Piccard to the stratosphere and the bottom of the Marianas Trench, respectively; Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the top of Everest; and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the surface of the moon. Each chapter includes a fold-out section of illustrations with a map of the journey and a cross-section of the method of transportation. Other illustrations expand on some of the equipment mentioned in the text. The fold-outs fit nicely into the volume, smaller than the "real" pages so they close up neatly. The chapters provide a level of detail that's just right for entertainment; intrigued readers may try some of the sources listed in the backmatter. (These are mostly primary source materials, potentially daunting for young readers.) An altogether agreeable package for armchair explorers. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)

Ross summarizes the experiences of several early explorers and provides detailed descriptions of their trips to previously undocumented lands. Intriguing information about these treacherous journeys, and the sometimes overwhelming technical difficulties encountered by adventurers, are conveyed through the use of cutaways, cross sections, and diagrams. Starting with Pytheas the Greek's voyage to the Arctic in 340 B.C. and ending with Armstrong and Aldrin's trip to the moon, the author conveys humanity's dogged determination to extend our knowledge about our planet and its relationship to the universe. Colorful illustrations depict various modes of transportation from vessels that traversed unknown seas, rivers, ocean depths, mountain peaks, and desert sands to the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The outside cover also cleverly unfolds to become a large map showing many of the voyages. This is a worthwhile purchase for students curious about early exploration and historical uses of technology. Bibliography. Glossary. Cynthia D. Schulz, Ph.D., Teacher Librarian, Cedarcrest Middle School, Marysville, Washington. RECOMMENDED

Gr 4-8-From Pytheas the Greek to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren, Ross recounts the stories of daring expeditions undertaken by men and women through the ages. An accessible text and superb visuals-foldout diagrams and spectacular physical maps and cross-sections-guarantee hours of enjoyment. (May) (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.