TRAVELING MAN: THE JOURNEY OF IBN BATTUTA, 1325-1354 by James Rumford (Houghton Mifflin) Told in first person voice, here is the story of Ibn Battu, the great traveler of his age, covering over seventy five thousand miles. Yes, seventy-five thousand! Across Morocco, China, Russia, Tanzania, and all during a time when people still believe the world was flat. Sound daunting? Not to Battuta; he advised a child who said "I wish I could go where you went, see what you saw," that "You can...all you do is take the first step." I opened this book up to a double-page spread of a camel caravan trudging through the Hindu Killing Mountains, and it took my breath away as sure as a blast of cold air from their snowy peaks. Besides stunning illustrations, beautiful Arabic lettering (which the author learned by studying from a master calligrapher in Afghanistan) and ancient Arab maps, this book shows a gamut of one man's struggles, emotions, faith and imagination. And to top it off, the book is still accessible enough to share with the whole family or classroom. Besides meeting all the criteria for a four-star picture book, it also includes excellent maps and a glossary. Battu's treasures were his travels, and you will treasure this reading trip as well. (7 and up)
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