Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air

by Stewart Ross, Stephen Biesty (Illustrator)

Ready to relive some of the most daring voyages of all time? Unfold these spectacular cross sections and explore fourteen historic journeys.

Open this dynamic book and discover how the greatest explorers in history -- from Marco Polo to Neil Armstrong -- plunged into the unknown and boldly pieced together the picture of the world we have today. With the help of masterful cross sections, dramatic storytelling, and sidebars that highlight key concepts, places, and technology, immerse yourself in such expeditions as:
--Leif Eriksson's voyage to North America (eleventh century)
--Zheng's travels from China to East Africa (fifteenth century)
--Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe (sixteenth century)
--Tenzing Norgay's and Edmund Hillary's scaling of Mt. Everest (twentieth century)
--Plus ten more exciting journeys!
Back matter includes an index, a glossary, and sources.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Chapter Books, Biography, Adventure

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2010

About the author

Stewart Ross has written more than 300 titles, fiction and non-fiction, for children and adults. Many are about (or inspired by) history. He lives near Canterbury, England.

Reviews

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning! The engaging, informative text chronicles exciting adventures by daring explorers. Biesty's huge, fold out, cutaway cross section illustrations are remarkably detailed. A handsomely designed visual experience.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drystan - I thought it was great. I would give it 5 stars. My favourite story was about the Appollo 11 moon landing. I liked this best because I can't imagine building a straight, big rocket that would reach the moon. I thought that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved their dream by travelling to the moon. I'd like to go to the moon too.

Dylan - My favourite story was the mission to the bottom of the sea. I liked this one best because I would like to do this myself. I would like to learn about the fish that live at the bottom of the sea and also learn about how to build a sub that I need to get there. I admired the explorers in this book because they were brave. This book shows things that people have done that others thought impossible or died trying. Some of the explorers didn't treat the places they went to, or the creatures that lived there, very well. I would treat them with more respect.

Daisee - I really liked this book because the explorers were all very brave but my favourites were Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh. It must have been very frightening when the window cracked but they didn't panic; Jacques made repairs. It was the first and only time that anyone has travelled to the Challenger Deep. I admired the explorers because they did not give up.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ross teamed up with Biesty (Incredible Cross-Sections) to do accounts of 14 of the greatest explorations of humanity. Both the text and the fold out illustrations as well as regular illustrations are magnificent, sure to send any mechanical minded child into an intense read amid dreams of incredible adventures. While the illustrations are the big draw, the text is really well done as well. Ross explains why the earliest explorations were so remarkable. The focus on how the various pieces of transportation were built and worked, is absolutely fascinating. This will stand up to heavy library usage better than many of Biesty's books since the pullout illustrations are centered into the middle of each page and very well fastened to the pages. There is just one fold out section per chapter and it takes advantage of every possible surface to locate the incredibly detailed cross sections. This was a really enjoyable read for a not very personally adventurous adult with not great vision. Why the mention of vision? There is an incredible amount of minute detail which made me remove my glasses and peer at the page many times!

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, I was fascinated by how early explorers sailed the oceans to new lands, pushing the limits of their knowledge. I remember learning about how Magellan's fleet circumnavigated to world - it was just captivating to learn about, and yet seemed so hard to imagine. Oh, if I only had been able to read Into the Unknown by Stewart Ross and Stephen Biesty - still, as an adult, I've poured over this book for hours and hours. If your child is fascinated by history, travel, exploration, maps or engineering, definitely seek this book out.

With clear, dramatic storytelling, Stewart Ross follows fourteen great explorers as they set out to discover the unknown. Starting with Pytheas the Greek, who sailed to the Arctic Circle in 340 B.C. and ending in 1969 when the crew of the Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Ross examines where, why and how these brave adventurers traveled. Ross provides just enough information to help construct a clear understanding for young readers without overwhelming them with too much detail.

Stephen Biesty's illustrations are a marvel, drawing readers to this book before they even start reading it. Using unfolding maps, cutaways and cross sections, Biesty brings these adventures to life in the reader's imagination. They let us see what it might have been like to sail on rough curragh with Pytheas as he sailed the North Sea. Some illustrations focus on the techniques used to construct certain ships, while others detail the routes taken. Many illustrations are fold-outs that fit nicely into the book, smaller than the full pages so they close up neatly. This volume will be a bit of a challenge in the school library with its many fold-outs. Even the dust jacket folds out to reveal a full map show casing all fourteen voyages!

Ross and Biesty take readers on fourteen famous voyages, arranged chronologically in order. While there is certainly a Euro-centric slant to the choices, they do provide a very interesting range, including Leif Eriksson's journey to America in AD 1003, Admiral Zheng He crossing the Indian Ocean with his enormous Treasure Fleet in 1405, and Jacques Piccard diving deep within the Mariana Trench to the Challenger Deep in 1960. This book will make fascinating reading for many children, piquing their interests to learn more about a favorite adventurer. It has enough information to be used in reports, but is written in a dramatic way to pull readers along who just want to know what happened next!

[Emm Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gifted myself and my family with this book(thanks Mom and Pop for the birthday giftcard!). It is the sort of book that encourages the reader to leap off into for an immersive journey, investigating the vehicles and technology of historical explorations from all over the world, throughout time. It is not a comprehensive book, but selects journeys that typify the technology of a given time period. The artwork is detailed and amazing to explore, with so many details and "easter eggs" that encourage close inspection. There are many pull-out pages with incredible illustrations and extra information; the cover itself unfolds to reveal a world map depicting the origins, routes, and destinations of the historical explorations within the book!

The book is perhaps a bit advanced reading for my two little guys right now(it would be good for independent readers at grades 4 - 7), but as a family book, it works well. I think it is the sort of book that the boys will grow into, and the information and illustrations will become great reference material as they get older. We are already great Stephen Biesty fans, and this is a wonderful addition to our family library!

(There is a slightly longer version of this review at my blog, with photos: http://magpiebessie.blogspot.com/2013...)

[Gideon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the world map poster (of course!).

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Into The Unknown to be a fascinating, detailed book about world explorers throughout history. I learned lots about people, places and modes of transportation. An added bonus was that this book had fold-out maps and diagrams that went along with each explorer. The maps clearly showed where each person went and
the diagrams gave detailed information about vehicles used. I thought the authors did a good job of highlighting significant explorers throughout history. While the Wright brothers were not featured in this book they were mentioned. I like that the authors selected some people and explorations that were less commonly known.

The book was written in chronological order, and this gave a good overview of advancements in transportation over time. If you did not want to read the entire book it would be easy to select a particular explorer from this book to study in depth. The entire book does not need to be read to benefit from the information presented. I would plug
information from this book into history and science lessons wherever it fit. The stories of the explorers and their explorations were told in an interesting style. Although there was technical information presented, the book read like a story rather than a textbook. I believe students would enjoy learning about the people and explorations presented in this
book.

While reading, I thought that the vocabulary and terms used would make this a challenging book for fourth and fifth graders to read independently. When I checked the reading level, I saw the book was leveled at a seventh grade level. I think this would be an excellent book to read aloud and discuss with students. It might inspire students to find books about the same explorers written at their level and learn more.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Unknown takes readers on a survey of explorers throughout history, looks at their journeys, and investigates their various methods of travel. The book starts with a little known expedition from Greece to the Arctic Circle in 340B.C. and ends with Armstrong and Aldrin landing on the moon. Each chapter includes a multipage fold-out with detailed maps of the journeys and cross-sections of the vessels used for transportation.

This is a spectacular resource for classes studying exploration, the evolution of transportation, or just looking for engaging non-fiction texts. It covers various methods of sea travel from early coracle to schooner to deep sea submarine, Marco Polo's travel across land, and air travels from balloon to space shuttle. Not all the explorers are the ones typically highlighted, making this text not your typical explorer survey. (And of course, the fold outs take it to a whole other level of uniqueness.) I can see this being used in a broad variety of age levels. Younger kids will be sucked into the intricate illustrations just as much as the older kids who can also enjoy the informative and readable text. The book looks big, but that is mostly because of the foldouts. Each chapter is only 4-6 pages long, making this a great pick for a reluctant reader who needs things in short chunks.

Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. Some deaths on various journeys are mentioned, but none are described or depicted in any gory detail.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Unknown is an elaborately illustrated children's book, which chronicles fourteen famous journeys in history. The book begins in 340 B.C. with Pytheas the Greek sailing to the Arctic Circle and concludes with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon in 1969. Several other famous journeys detailed in this book are Leif Eriksson's, Marco Polo's, Christopher Columbus', and Edmund Hilary's. In addition to receiving a summary of the journey and illustrations on every page, one feature of this book sets it apart from all others. FOLDOUTS!

Each of the fourteen journeys has a unique foldout section that details something significant related to the journey. Pytheas' foldout shows how to build a curragh (the ship he sailed on) as well as what went into travelling on this type of ship. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's foldout was the most awesome. It shows all the parts of the Apollo module, the journey to and from the moon, and what happened to the Apollo module at every stage of the journey. Even the cover expands and folds out into a world map to show the path of all fourteen journeys. The only negative of the book is the sturdiness of the book. The inside of my copy split at the front seam, and will have to have paper glued over it to repair it. For that reason, I am taking away 1 star. I still think this was an awesome book worth buying. It would make a great supplement to a history class or homeschool curriculum.

[Scott Volz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air chronologically profiles the journeys of 14 explorers--from the Greek Pytheas’ sailing into the Arctic in 340 BC to the 1969 Moon landing.

The book shines in its balance of content and presentation. Aimed at the late elementary to early middle-grade reader, each chapter (ranging from 4-10 pages in length) gives some background about the explorer/event before focusing on an overview of the journeys--often discussing elements such as weather, navigation, and vehicle construction. The writing has a strong narrative style which adds excitement and drama to the recounting of historical fact. The cross-section artwork strongly supports the text in its level of detail and ability to clarify technologies and concepts that young readers may not have a lot of existing knowledge about, such as the construction of caravel or the involved in stratospheric flight. Each chapter includes several insets plus one dramatic foldout in which an initial illustration unfolds and expands to reveal an additional illustration.

Perhaps most importantly, the book’s engaging presentation makes it more likely to be read for fun that most nonfiction books for juveniles. Highly recommended.

[Shazzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As posted on Outside of a Dog:

The first thing to say about Stewart Ross' Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air must be said. This book is cool. Like, super-duper cool. If I can just get kids, especially boys, to open the book, I know I'll have them hooked. Into the Unknown tells the tale of fourteen great explorations and the great men and women who undertook them. Each section is rich in historical facts and modern context, and makes for interesting reading, but lets face it, the coolest parts of this book are the fold-outs. Each section contains a fold-out with incredibly detailed drawings by Stephen Biesty. These drawings include maps and cross sections of every vehicle employed by our explorers, even the clothing worn by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. These additions are extraordinary, and I got lost in each and every one, examining even the smallest detail so painstakingly crafted by Biesty. I should have no trouble getting this book into eager hands.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age: 8-12
Art: cross-sections, foldouts

Starting in 340 BC with Pytheas the Greek and ending in 1969 with the Apollo 11 moon landing, Ross and illustrator Stephen Bietsy fill this exemplary nonfiction book with intriguing facts and near peril. "These journeys of exploration are not necessarily the most important in terms of what they found, but each one is extraordinary for the way it was made."

Somewhat as an explorer himself, Ross has traveled all over the world to teach history, giving him acute insight into how students best learn the subject. Past the written word, the intricate cross-section by artist Stephen Bietsy (Incredible Cross-Sections) reveal the intense labor and dedication of the adventurers involved. Furthermore, the maps provide a valuable visual understanding. of each expedition. The foldouts also provide a unique feeling of discovery for the reader.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Ross describes the explorations of land, sea, and air by over a dozen different men and women throughout history. Each chapter is accompanied by a fold-out diagram or map and Stephen Biesty's wonderful cross-sections and detailed illustrations. I've always loved to read about explorers, but I have to admit I'd never heard of Pythias or the Piccards, so I learned something here. In fact, my favorite chapter was on the Piccards, father and son. Auguste, the father, sailed up into the stratosphere in a balloon, higher than anyone has ever been--the thought of it gives me the willies! His son, Jacques, descended in a bathyscaphe to the floor of the Pacific Ocean in one of its deepest places--the Challenger Deep. This was in 1960, and no one has ever been down that deep since! Amazing. I've got to read more about those two. Highly recommended!

[Ari Feinsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book. I learned a lot about history and the great things humanity has accomplished. I learned some interesting facts. For example, the Chinese once had the largest treasure fleet in the world, with over 310 ships. They also built massive ships called Super-Junks, that were the largest wooden ships to ever sail the sea. This book has great illustrations and gave me a very good understanding of past inventions worked. It told stories of exploring the new world, climbing Everest, and going to the moon. One of my favorite parts was when the book explained how a ship captain forced his crew to eat pickled cabbage to prevent them from getting sick. Eat your veggies kids!

[marin · Rating 3 out of 5]

market research

broken into 14 remarkable voyages which make it a stretch for a school report since the info isn't necessarily longer than in-depth encyclopedia entry. unfolding cross-sections (surprised the library bought it for this reason), high quality color. pretty text heavy considering explorers tend to be of interest to 5th and 6th graders. small font. good overall format, oversized but smaller than a pic book. <100 pages. limited number of sidebars. index, glossary, print sources.

candlewick

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous and informative. Worth owning so you can pore over it at random. Love how it includes eras, areas (space, undersea) besides the "usual suspects" and has lots of fascinating details like how a ship's poor design could impact the success of an explorer. For geography, history and science buffs alike. Of course, Biesty's amazing-as-usual detailed drawings hold a whole book's worth of info--here they are smaller-than-trim-sized, multifold booklets.

[Shoshana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the way to do kids' nonfiction! It's visual, it's tactile, it lets kids come along on the origin stories of things they've always known, and it manages to juxtapose Pytheas with Neil Armstrong. My only quibble is that I would've liked to see more attention paid to the natives of the places being explored. But the book is far from ethnocentric; it includes explorers from varied parts of the world and never claims that the "discovered" places were actually new.

[Jean Haberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a "Camp-Read-a-Lot" book. There is a two or three page spread and a "fold out" about fourteen amazing explorers covering a time period from 340 BC through the moon landing in 1969. It gives a good overview of the history of exploration. Readers would love to pour over the fold-out pictures of the ships with all the minute details. It is definitely a "must" purchase for the elementary library.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very good. It had brief descriptions of 14 different explorations and had lots of illustrations. At the end of each chapter there was a foldout with detailed cross sections of the ships used or the climbing/space suits used for the hike to Everest or the trip to the moon. Sometimes there was the steps it took to build the ships as well and the routes the explorers took. It also had a good mix of different races and ethnicities. It wasn't just the European explorers.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. Used this for a Columbus Day lesson with a small group of 3-5th graders. Loved the pull out maps and pictures. It was a great resource to expand upon the idea of who Columbus was, and puts the age of exploration into a global and social context.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to add to your youth non fiction collection. The illustrations are amazing and it's chock full of resource information. From Viking discoverys to the landing on the moon, this book takes important discovery events and showcases them with rich text and intricate illustrations. As a bonus each chapter has a fold out diagrams that are super. A wonderful book to relax to.

[Kyla Ramirez (Hyden) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rich nonfiction text that I would like to have in my classroom. It includes fourteen adventures form history. Each journey that is discussed in the book has fold-out maps and diagrams to help the reader understand more details about the historical events. This is an exciting book that students would enjoy reading.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was too much fun. Explorers' stories told perfectly. The illustrations show specifics pieces that had to happen or exist so that people could travel or explore. This is every kid's dream to experience and every librarian's nightmare.

Still I feel it's worth a gamble for such a genius book.

[Louise Bendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and brief history of explorers and their adventures. I particularly enjoyed reading about Mary Kingsley and how she fearlessly explored the west coast of Africa alone in 1895, also how the father/son team Auguste & Jacques Piccard explored the stratosphere in the 1930s and then used that same technology to build a deep-sea craft.

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book for children. Illustrations are amazing. If I would have had this book as a child, I would have carefully cut out all the posters and put them up all over my room. This book is fascinating, engaging, and interesting. I highly recommend to those with an interest in art, geography, history, and science for kids.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will totally read anything with a Stephen Biesty cross-section. This had a huge variety of things in cross section, and more kinds of explorations than I suspected. To me the most incredible of all the voyages were the 15th century Chinese treasure ships. Totally bad ass.

[melanie (lit*chick) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just returned this one to the library - wonderful way to study the explorers. We especially enjoyed the removable maps, etc. it is a dynamic book for both kids and adults. Would love to add to our home library!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting and very well done. I loved the explanations, but also the fold out bits, complete with maps and processes and vessel cross-sections. It may be a bit long for some, but if a reader even reads just one of the explorations covered in this book, they will be enriched.

[Tom Menke]

was informative as only a reminder that history is written by people and not always true
I wouldnt read it again there are many more comprehensive books on exploration and the truth of why it was done.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned stuff! While most of these stories are for familiar explorers (Columbus, Apollo 11, Leif Erikkson), the authors do a great job of exploring the ins and outs and whys of each journey. Each vignette gets its own fold out showing Stephen Biesty's amazing cross-section drawings.