The Remarkable Voyages of Captain Cook

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Blumberg ( The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark ) might well have written for TV's old See It Now or You Are There . The triumphs and tribulations of several lengthy journeys are rendered in such vivid prose that readers will almost be able to hear and smell the ships' animals. While James Cook found neither the ``Southern Continent'' nor the Northwest Passage, his navigational achievements (charting parts of New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, the western U.S. coast, Alaska, etc.) are monumental. Equally important were his shipboard medical advancements and his innovation of bringing scientists, artists et al. on expeditions. Cook the person is explored as well--first as a strict but kind, curious adventurer, later as more brutal. This book is especially valuable for cross-cultural understanding, as numerous incidents reveal how the English and those they encountered imposed their own beliefs upon other peoples. (Cook couldn't believe that Tahitians smothered some of their newborns; Tahitians were appalled that an eight-year-old in Britain could be hanged for stealing something inconsequential.) Highly recommended. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up --A fascinating, meticulously documented account that reads like an adventure novel. Readers are swept along with Cook and his crew as they are exposed to severe weather conditions, hostile and friendly natives, theft, cannibalism, and human sacrifice. Blumberg never negates or glosses over the frequent violence or brutality of discovery or the lustiness of the sailors. Her respect for the native cultures the crew encountered comes through clearly; while some of the descriptions of common practices are gruesome, they are never demeaned. Reminders of what was going on in England and the colonies at the time provide a valuable frame of reference; words are defined as used, thus ensuring a smooth narrative flow and eliminating the need to flip to a glossary. Cook's competence is always in evidence; he emerges as a kind man concerned about cleanliness and the health of his men, but who later resorts to harsh punishment for minor infractions without apparent reason. The importance of having a scientist and artist on board is made obvious; without the artist's vision, this stunning book would not have been possible, for it is profusely illustrated with reproductions of the work of many who accompanied Cook, showing the world as they saw it. It's an amazing gallery that informs, enlightens, and entertains. --Trev Jones , School Library Journal