I have a fascination with maps, which is ironic since I never really learned how to read them, have very limited spacial sense, and constantly get lost. However, this was an interesting history of mapmaking, paired with Tavares' realistic illustrations.
It starts with prehistory, showing people drawing maps in stone and on sand, then depicts a Native American woman carving a map on stone and an Egyptian man painting a papyrus map. The story touches on Greek philosophers debating the shape of the world, Chinese maps from the Qin Kingdom, and Polynesian maps of shells and sticks that depicted wave patterns. It mentions European explorers "proving" the world was round and passes on to European medieval mapping and surveying instruments, the development of geometry, and finally to modern cartography.
There are notes from the author and illustrator and an overview of current surveying and cartography.
Verdict: I appreciated the wide view of maps around the world and through history but I was disappointed at the ambiguous language that perpetuates the flat-earth/European discovery myth. However, this would be a strong choice for classrooms focusing on geography and a good addition to map-making units.
ISBN: 9780593479254; Hardcover/Picture book on Baker & Taylor for $11.19
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