Christopher Columbus: Explorer ANNOTATION
Briefly introduces the life of explorer Christopher Columbus, his accomplishments, and his impact on the world as we know it.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature
Since 1992, the 300th anniversary of the discovery of America, there has been a tendency to revise the traditional image of Columbus as intrepid explorer and discoverer of America. This volume in the "Spirit of America: Our People" series attempts, rather successfully, to present a more balanced picture. The author points out that by 1492 few people thought the world was flat and that Columbus never set foot on the continent of North America. His several voyages are described, his determination and skill as a navigator praised, but the author does not neglect to explain that the treatment of native inhabitants by the Spaniards was extremely cruel, providing a poor model for future explorers. Teachers might want to share Michael Dorris's Morning Girl to give children some idea of the peaceful Taino society before Europeans came. The lust for gold, the introduction of tobacco to Europe, and a hero's welcome after the explorer's first voyage make lively reading, while the frustrations and failures of the later voyages are also made clear. Special pages on the Columbus legend showing the Columbian Exposition of 1892 and on the harrowing life of a 15th-century sailor are especially well done. Since the illustrations must necessarily be derived mostly from paintings and drawings, many events seem to take on a posed, Victorian-Romantic look. The author leaves young historians with the thought that while Columbus was not as noble as legend would have it, his voyages to the Americas did change the world. A timeline, glossary, and bibliography are provided. 2002 The Child's World, Talcroft
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