Synopses & Reviews
Review
"This is an absorbing look at the science of cartography before the era of aerial photography and GPS, and at the dedicated men who risked their lives to chart the unknown."
Review
"Combining applied science with history and biography, the discussion follows Davidson and his companions through years of difficulty, danger, and discomfort as they work toward their goal."
Review
"This is an absorbing look at the science of cartography before the era of aerial photography and GPS, and at the dedicated men who risked their lives to chart the unknown." School Library Journal
"Combining applied science with history and biography, the discussion follows Davidson and his companions through years of difficulty, danger, and discomfort as they work toward their goal." Booklist, ALA
Synopsis
In the mid-nineteenth century, little was known of the west coast and waterways. The ships that sailed those waters did so at a considerable risk, sometimes depending on only a school atlas to navigate and all too often crashing into the rocks. So the U.S. Coast Survey, whose purpose was to map every mile of American shoreline, commissioned George Davidson to chart all of the major points on the coast and all of the waterways in between. In this beautifully illustrated book, Taylor Morrison chronicles the challenges and adventures Davidson and his team faced and the methods they used to accomplish this monumental, and essential, task.
About the Author
Taylor Morrison pairs his artistic talent with extensive research to bring readers engaging nonfiction picturebooks. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has illustrated several books for children. He was born in Kansas, raised in Illinois, and now makes his home in Oregon.