Water Sports, Forests & Trees, Boats & Ships, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous, United States - State & Local History
Log in to track your reading progress.
Overview
A story of the human ingenuity needed to turn the Giant Pines of New England into masts for the great British Navy.
Describes how giant pine trees in New England were cut down during the colonial days to make massive wooden ships for the King's Navy.
Synopsis
"The felling and transporting of behemoth New England oak and white pine trees, destined to become masts of 18th-century British ships, is gracefully recounted in this elegant picture book."--"School Library Journal, " starred review. An ALA Notable Children's Book, "Booklist" Youth Nonfiction Top of the List, "School Library Journal" Best Book, NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. Illustrations.Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
The white pines of colonial New England were truly ``giants living on this land,'' as first-time author Appelbaum imaginatively demonstrates. The trees, she notes, ``stood taller than an apartment house twenty-five stories high, taller than the tallest building ever built in New Hampshire or Maine.'' Her story uses a wealth of such well-presented facts to describe how, in King George's day, these trees were laboriously cut, hoisted onto huge axles, hauled by teams of oxen to the nearest river and eventually transported to England, where they became the giant masts of British warships. These trees have all been felled, but as Appelbaum optimistically concludes, ``giants are growing now.'' The scratchboard illustrations give this text real drama. McCurdy ( The Beasts of Bethlehem ) recreates the massiveness of his subject with heavily black trees that tower past the edges of the suitably tall (12-inch) pages or topple from one corner of a spread to another, dwarfing the men who harvest them. These powerful images make a potentially esoteric subject concrete and approachable. Ages 7-up. (Sept.)From The Critics
"Dramatic." —Bulletin, starred reviewFrom The Critics
In colonial times the giant old pines in New England were the perfect material for the masts of the new ships of the king's Navy. In a tone respectful of nature, this impressive book describes the great effort that went into the selection, cutting, and transporting of these beautiful trees. The woodcut illustrations are great! 2000, Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, $6.95. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: A. Braga SOURCE: Parent Council Volume 8Children's Literature -
Diana Appelbaum learned about the 250-foot tall and four-foot wide pine trees that once grew in the forests of New England during research for an economic history of the human impact on New England's environment. Those Giants in the Land of King George III were the only trees in all his realm tall enough to become masts on Royal Navy ships. How 18th century colonists felled and ferried the pines from forest to Britain's shipbuilders is an historical tale Ms. Appelbaum tells exceptionally well. Artist Michael McCurdy's bold, black-and-white scratchboards are equally impressive.Book Details
Published
March 28, 2000
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages
32
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780618033058