15th century Europe comes alive in this bright story of the world and life of Christopher Columbus. What did towns look like then? What did homes look like then? What did the Europeans imagine about the world they lived in?
Most school children know that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. But do they every stop to imagine what he was like as a boy or what it was like to have the dream of sailing out in search of gold and new lands but needing to convince the important people, the king and queen that the adventure was worth investing in.
This would be a great pairing with Jane Yolen's ENCOUNTER. There is no "single story" here. It's a mix of perspectives and overcoming obstacles and is a great road map for children to see the truth of what it takes to make something happen.
40 pages 978-0679806288 Ages 7-10
Keywords: explorers, dreams, perseverance, 15th century, Europe, indigenous people, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
Author's note: Christopher Columbus is now associated with three areas of controversy connected to his interactions with indigenous people. They are "the use of violence and slavery, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity and the introduction of a host of new diseases that would have dramatic long-term effects on native people in the Americas."--from history.com
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Illus. in full color. The 15th century comes alive in this splendidly original picture book about Christopher Columbus. "The illustrations, executed in a variety of media, show scenes from the explorer's life as well as some imaginary creatures that populated the Europeans' picture of the outside world at that time. The details on each page invite individual readers to pay close attention, but the brief, clear text and framed illustrations lend themselves equally well to group sharing. Make room on your crowded Columbus shelf for this one."--(starred) School Library Journal. --from the publisher
