How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark

by Rosalyn Schanzer

Overview

The book begins with Lewis's letter to Clark proposing a "trip to explore those western rivers which may run all the way across North America to the western ocean" and Clark's reply "to cheerfully join you in this rewarding endeavor." From there, every stage of the journey is illustrated—from the building of the ships the crew would use, the choosing of the crew itself, and the farewell from St. Louis on May 14, 1804, to meetings with friendly and unfriendly Indian tribes, discovering a wealth of previously unknown plants and animals, bouts with fleas and fever, a miserable climb through the Bitterroot Mountains, and finally the much-longed-for view of the Pacific Ocean. The text is taken directly from the journals of Lewis and Clark, which makes it excellent primary source material. In addition, every page is filled with illustrations in a charming folk-art style that brings the scenes to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426313288
Publisher:	Disney - RHCB
Publication date:	12/11/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

ROSALYN SCHANZER is the award-winning author and illustrator of 16 books for young people, including George versus George: The American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides, an ALA Notable Book, SLJ Book of the Year, NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, and Orbis Pictus Recommended book. She was recently awarded the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for her work on Witches. Roz lives in Virginia with her husband, Steve, in a house surrounded by birds.

Editorial Reviews

A simplified version of the diaries of Lewis and Clark; in an introduction, Schanzer explains how she condensed much of the excitement and adventure of the 40 volumes into this one. The book follows the route mapped out on the end papers, beginning with President Jefferson's request that the two explore the west, and ending when Lewis and Clark return two years later to St. Charles (near St. Louis), long after everyone thought they'd died. In that time the two men discovered many new animals and plants, met with Indian tribes, and created new maps of the uncharted territories. Schanzer often breaks up the page into a series of vignettes with captions, effectively covering many of their experiences in a small space. Her drawings include portraits of the members of the expedition and other details that make an already authentic text all the richer.

Kirkus Reviews