Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air    by Stewart Ross & Stephen Biesty Order:  USA  Can Candlewick, 2011 (2011) Hardcover      Reviewed by Bob Walch Subtitled 'How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air', this offers an inside look at an exceptional group of adventurers who left the safety of their homes and countries to set out into the unknown. In some cases - like Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo and James Cook - they ventured across the sea. Others, like Mary Kingsley and David Livingston, traveled deep into the interior of Africa. But there were others, such as Auguste Piccard and the Apollo 11 crew, who went up into the heavens. And, in a few instances, intrepid individuals, like Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh, descended 29,500 feet into the depths of the ocean. Featuring not only the people but also the technological advances they put to use to make their journeys of discovery possible, this beautifully illustrated book presents fourteen of these exceptional, ground breaking journeys. Along with interesting information and sidebars that highlight key concepts, each section of the book has a fold-out that shows a cutaway of a ship, an airship, balloon or bathyscaphe, or a map that charts the course of a journey. The book jacket itself also folds out to show a large wall map that indentifies where in the world these journeys into the unknown took place. Children eight years of age and older, plus many adults, will find this a fascinating book and one they'll enjoy spending hours mulling over. This is not just a well designed picture book; there is also lots of solid information here, plus you'll find a list of sources for a more detailed study of each featured individual. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews