Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta 1325-1354

by James Rumford

Overview

James Rumford, himself a world traveler, has retold Ibn Battuta’s story in words and pictures, adding the element of ancient Arab maps—maps as colorful and evocative as a Persian miniature, as intricate and mysterious as a tiled Moroccan wall. Into this arabesque of pictures and maps is woven the story not just of a traveler in a world long gone but of a man on his journey through life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618432332
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/25/2004
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	417,841
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Master storyteller James Rumford combines his love for art and history in his picture books. Each of his books is vastly different in its content, design, and illustrations but one aspect remains constant throughout his work: his passion about his subjects. Rumford, a resident of Hawaii, has studied more than a dozen languages and worked in the Peace Corps, where he traveled to Africa, Asia, and Afghanistan. He draws from these experiences and the history of his subject when he is working on a book. His book Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing was a 2005 Sibert Honor winner.

Editorial Reviews

"An awe-inspiring tale, evocatively presented, and perfect for armchair travelers." Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"Simply put, this is a beautifully crafted work that will undoubtedly spark interest and encourage further study." School Library Journal, Starred —

From the Publisher

Gr 3-6-"In the days when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta." So begins this introduction to the journeys of this historically important but probably little-known, 14th-century Muslim figure. Born in Morocco and raised as a scholar, he began his 29 years of travel in 1325 when, "At twenty-one, he decided to go to Mecca as a pilgrim." He went on through Africa, across the steppes of Asia, into India and China, and back to Morocco where "he told his story to the Moroccan court secretary Ibn Juzayy, who wrote it down in Arabic." Rumford's simply written adaptation is often surprisingly eloquent. For example, Ibn Battuta comments on his voyage: "Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." "Traveling-it had captured my heart, and now my heart was calling me home." On each page, a portion of the text appears within its own bright white narrow road crossing elegantly bordered illustrations that shine with generous amounts of gold, red, and deep blue. This text also flows into and out of larger frames. The artist adorns many of these illustrations with Arabic and Chinese calligraphy, providing translations for the longer phrases at the end of the book. A few maps are included and they are executed with the same attention to presentation. A glossary of names, places, and important words provides essential information in an accessible format. Simply put, this is a beautifully crafted work that will undoubtedly spark interest and encourage further study.-Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal