From Publishers Weekly
This ambitious sequel to the Maestros' The Discovery of the Americas begins with a revisionist summation of Christopher Columbus's famous feats: the explorer "was not the first to discover the Americas. But his voyages led to the European exploration of the New World." The book covers more than 130 years of exploration, presenting brief overviews of Magellan, Cortes, Pizarro, Hudson, Drake, Champlain et al. Betsy Maestro also discusses the effects of these incursions on native peoples; she touches upon the African slave trade, the decimation of the Aztec civilization and the general failure of Europeans to honor their agreements with Native Americans. While the writing is clear, the range of information may be too broad for the reader to absorb easily. Each topic receives only a paragraph or two, and important concepts are often reduced to a single sentence. More satisfying is the watercolor-and-pencil art, which vividly depicts the explorers and their exploits. Giulio Maestro captures the essence of his settings-the midnight blues of a nighttime sky at sea, the earthy yellows and browns of the American Southwest, the green, tiered mountains of Central America. Appendixes contain a table of dates; lists of explorers not mentioned in the text; useful summaries; and a list of Native American "contributions to the world." Ages 6-up. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-This companion to The Discovery of the Americas (Lothrop, 1991) provides an interesting discussion of the European exploration and conquest of the "New World." The author carefully explains that, "The great gain of one people was the great loss of another" and traces the disastrous effects that the Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, and Dutch had on the native peoples of the Americas, while acknowledging the benefits the Europeans enjoyed-gold, land, rich natural resources, and power. North, Central, and South America are discussed, as are the beginnings of the African slave trade. Detailed descriptions of the different native cultures are not provided-the focus is on European politics and rivalry-and there are no chapter divisions, which makes the information somewhat difficult to digest. Although the text is occasionally blunt and dry, this is still a good introduction to a complex topic from a multicultural perspective, beautifully illustrated with lush watercolor and colored-pencil drawings.Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MACopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 3-5. A sequel to The Discovery of the Americas (1991), this oversize book discusses the exploration of the Americas from 1492 to 1625. The book's most outstanding feature is its full-color artwork. Large, double-page spreads give scope to dramatic landscapes, while smaller pictures on every page show events, places, and maps pertinent to the text. The text forms one long story introducing explorers such as Cort{‚}es, Pizarro, de Soto, Cabot, Verrazano, Cartier, Champlain, and Hudson as well as the founding of the Lost Colony and the Jamestown settlement. Throughout the book, the Maestros make clear that European exploration and colonization had disastrous consequences for Native Americans, who were destroyed by war, treachery, and disease. While it may not provide sufficient information for middle-grade students writing reports on individual explorers, this book provides a useful overview of the period in a format accessible to a wide age range. Carolyn Phelan



"Vividly depicts the explorers and their exploits."



"The narrative is lively, the characters, the scope panoramic, and the details precise."


Book Description
Christopher Columbus was not the first to discover the Americas, but his voyages led to European exploration of the New World. Rich in resources and natural beauty, the Americas were irresistible to gold-hungry conquistadors. The newcomers gave little thought to those who had called the lands their home, and exploration soon came to signify conquest. The New World -- and the lives of its inhabitants -- would be changed forever.


About the Author
Before beginning her career in children's books, Betsy Maestro was a teacher. Her first book with Giulio Maestro was A Wise Monkey Tale published in 1975, and since then they have collaborated on more than one hundred books. Their on-going "American Story" series began with the highly acclaimed The Discovery of the Americas and continues to help young readers understand and appreciate our nation's history.The Maestros live with two cats and a goldfish in a converted cow barn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Christopher Columbus was not the first to discover the Americas, but his voyages led to European exploration of the New World. Rich in resources and natural beauty, the Americas were irresistible to gold-hungry conquistadors. The newcomers gave little thought to those who had called the lands their home, and exploration soon came to signify conquest. The New World — and the lives of its inhabitants — would be changed forever.

FROM THE CRITICS

Washington Post

The narrative is lively, the characters, the scope panoramic, and the details precise.

USA Today

Exhilarating...[a] masterpiece.

Washington Post Book World

Rich in plot twists, byzantine intrigues and hidden secrets, Imajica is a Chinese puzzle box constructed on a universal scale...Barker has an unparalleled talent for envisioning other worlds.

New York Daily News

Wonderfully entertaining...Clive Barker is a magician of the first order.

Atlanta Journal