Product Description

The 15th century comes vividly alive in this splendidly original picture book about Christopher Columbus. The straightforward text combines documented fact and legend, while the pictures show Columbus' gradual emergence from a fortress of medieval belief as he begins to realize his dream of finding a new route to the Orient. 1991 New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year; Booklist Starred Review; School Library Journal Best Book of 1991; The Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book. Full-color illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #307122 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-09
• Released on: 2003-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Portraying Columbus from his boyhood to his first landing in the Americas, Sis's ( Waving ; Alphabet Soup ) account is straightforward but somewhat flat. Though his minimal text often reads like a rushed summary, his artwork is extraordinary. With their rich, earthy hues, fine cross-hatching and, in many instances, the semblance of parchment or aged oils, these illustrations recall the maps, charts and paintings of Columbus's own era. Sis is especially adept at evoking the life of the mind and suggesting bridges between reality and imagination. In one particularly striking scene, the child Columbus, charged with weaving a bolt of cloth, imagines a world where the loom is his ship and the star-studded cloth his sail; in another, the monsters of the deep are depicted as they might be envisioned by the fearful men sailing west for the first time. Ages 5-10.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4--A fascinating artistic represen tation of the discovery of the New World. In a preface, Sis makes refer ence to Columbus escaping the walls of fear and ignorance that encompassed 15th-century Europe and uses that mo tif freely throughout--as a curtain framing a view of Genoa, a background for pictures of Columbus's early life, and in an endpaper map of Europe sur rounded by a wall. The illustrations, ex ecuted in a variety of media--oil, ink, watercolor, and gouache--show scenes from the explorer's life as well as some of the many imaginary creatures that populated the Europeans' picture of the outside world at that time. Sis uses col ors ranging from drab browns and grays, to a rose-colored sky that is a background for the king and queen of Spain, and deep blues and greens for the ocean. A double-page medieval- style map is bordered with important dates and small pictures representing those dates, while another double page shows many postage-stamp-size repre sentations of the sea as described in Co lumbus's log. The many details on each page invite individual readers to pay close attention, but the brief, clear text and framed illustrations lend them selves equally well to group sharing. Make room on your crowded Colum bus shelf for this one.
-Jean H. Zim merman, Willett School, South River, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A brief, straightforward, uncontroversial summary of the events leading up to Columbus's first voyage and of the outward voyage itself--a book that serves to caption a series of dreamlike, highly imaginative illustrations blending the visual inspiration of 15th-century maps with this gifted Czech artist's perception of his own emigration as an escape from Europe's encircling walls. Stone walls are a unifying theme here, appearing as curtains around the first scene, as background in an album-like book displaying scenes from Columbus's childhood, as the surface over which the boy imagines sailing as he dreams of Marco Polo, or as the border of a glowing map of the known world, its only aperture opening off the page's edge to the west. Meanwhile, Sis makes fine decorative use of other motifs: sea monsters, starry skies and distant vistas, nautical instruments and ships. Contrasting meticulous detail with generously open space--delicately textured or luminous with color--is characteristic of Sis's work; here, style and theme are integrated in the splendid art. An unusually creative addition to the rapidly growing stack of books on Columbus. (Biography/Picture book. 4+) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful introduction of Columbus to young readers
The illustrations in the book are fascinating and extraordinary! My four-year-old son loves to look at and have me read this book to him over and over while he points out different characteristics in the illustrations. It's also a great introduction into American history for youngsters.

Great for a 5 year old
I had my hesitations buying this book because I couldn't look inside and I was worried that it would be too complex for my 5 year old. It is very simple to read ~ not too many words on each page but lots of cool and beautiful illustrations that explain the story well. I was looking for something to explain the meaning of Colubus Day and who Columbus was and this is an excellent book for that. It takes you through his childhood up until after he finds new land. We are very happy with this book.

Brings it alive
This books is excellent because it brings alive the pictures that the students have only imagined in their minds. The art is beautiful and eventhough there is not much print, the pictures speak for themselves.