Illustrated by Norman Green – STEP into Reading, A Step 3 Book

Ah! How refreshing to find a book about Christopher Columbus that doesn’t make him out to be a genocidal nincompoop! Thanks to the likes of Adam Ruins Everything or any history textbook published in the past two decades, the pervasive indoctrination of “Everyone Must Hate on Columbus” has so destroyed the man’s legacy that to suggest he accomplished anything of significance is tantamount to admitting that you hate indigenous peoples, would enjoy spreading the black plague if given half a chance, or share the mental capacity of other no-good idiots like, say, G.W. Bush or D.J. Trump (those unsuccessful dummies).

If you’re still with me, here’s a bit about why I and my kids enjoyed this book so much. First off, the illustrations are awesome. These bright watercolors carry a classic look which capture the feel of the late 15th century, yet they also contain details which normally might be avoided in favor of maintaining that classic look. In the style of David Macaulay, for example, pages 16-17 show a bisection of the Santa Maria from the sails and upper decks all the way down to the bilge compartments and below. We studied this picture together for a while, and our minds ran wild with activities to enjoy as we considered what we might take on such a voyage.

I also enjoyed the present-tense style of this story, as it doesn’t presume to know the future of Columbus’ voyage, including his (not to mention his sponsors’ and fellow navigators’) mistake regarding the location of the West Indies. With the approval of the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and his map-makers, Columbus finds nearly ninety men and boys to risk their lives in this daring voyage. It’s an exciting tale of adventure that fits well in that age of exploration, and it makes me long for a return to such modern versions as South about Earnest Shackleton’s voyage to Antarctica or Into Thin Air about that fateful climb up Everest.

Is this an exhaustive study of Columbus’ first voyage and it’s sad after-effects? Of course not. It’s a kid’s book, for crying out loud. But thankfully, it’s also not a vehicle for educators to plant seeds into young minds about how “no one in history is truly a hero, everyone has a dark side, and everyone but yourself will ultimately let you down.” Columbus was a murderer, Abraham Lincoln had a dirty mouth, Benjamin Franklin loved his prostitutes, and Jesus had an affair with Mary Magdalene—the disease of corrupting our youth against heroes is pervasive, and I strongly dislike anything geared towards kids that seeks this end. This book does well to tell the truths of history without getting into the dark debates that kids will eventually meet further on down the road. Thank you Random House for that at least.

©2018 E.T.