The Road to There

Starred review from December 1, 2003
Gr 6 Up-Taking the view that maps " are another way that we can tell stories," Ross presents an intriguing look at several mapmakers and the way that their work reflected not only physical boundaries, but also important aspects of their lives and the times in which they lived. The author introduces Roger II and Al-Idrisi, a Christian king and a Muslim scholar who collaborated to create a planisphere of the world during an era when other Christians and Muslims were killing one another in the Crusades. She describes Cheng Ho, a 15th-century admiral from China who journeyed far until a regime change curtailed his explorations; Henry the Navigator, a Portuguese prince with a passion for discovery who also fathered the slave trade in Europe; and Gerard Mercator, a brilliant cartographer who was arrested for "suspicious religious beliefs" in the 16th century. Other chapters treat the Cassini family dynasty, James Cook, Lewis and Clark, efforts to map the ocean floor, maps created under clandestine conditions, the founder of the A-Z Map Company, and aerial photography. The tone of the text is chatty, sometimes humorous, and never dry. Fact boxes provide tangential information that extends the reading experience. Reproductions of contemporary maps, illustrations, and photos provide a sense of the past, while modern outline maps help youngsters understand the issues. Filled with details and insights and written with a storyteller's touch, this book will simultaneously inform and fascinate readers.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2003
Gr. 7-10. Ross covers plenty of historical ground in this wide-ranging discussion of maps and mapmakers. Each of the 13 chapters spotlights a different topic--from the voyages of fifteenth-century Chinese explorer and chart maker Cheng Ho to the mapping of North America. Though the discussion includes critical opinions of notables such as Henry the Navigator and Captain James Cooke, the more memorable sections of the book concern lesser-known individuals, such as Phyllis Pearsall, who created a detailed map of London" "in 1936. The book concludes with a chapter-by-chapter bibliography and photo credits for the excellent period illustrations, including paintings, prints, photos, documents, and many maps, reproduced in color. An eclectic presentation, potentially fascinating to young people who are intrigued by maps and their history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)