Harold McCracken (1894–1983)

1. The Story of Alaska is an interesting Information chapter book with pictures written by Harold McCracken, illustrated by Earl Oliver Hurst, and published in 1956 by Garden city books. The book is about the history of Alaska up to its US territory. This book had two really good points to it: the illustrations are amazingly detailed, and the language is very clear and well thought out. I knew that there would be great illustrations from the inner book covers. When I opened the book there was an illustration of Alaska and all that it produces. In the picture, to the north, are oil towers, a sled dog team representing the Iditarod, a picture of mount McKinley and pictures of gold mines. So right from the beginning I knew that the illustrations would be really special. My favorite illustration is on page 39. This page features Eskimos welcoming a musher on a dog sled. This picture is drawn in black ink with blue and white backgrounds. The blue and white backgrounds help to highlight the scenery in the distance and gives a lot of detail to the igloo that they native Alaskans are living in. I also saw scraps of the dog’s meal on the ground near the hut. The amount of detail in the illustrations is what really brings it together. The Hut that the native Alaskans are living in is full of detail. I could see the marks on the wood sides of the house and the decorations onto of the house. The books language is very simple yet explains what the author is talking about. In describing the early days of Alaska, the author explains that it means “the great land” and that the Russians and Americans fought over this land for many years. The writer explains Alaska’s history in a way that young reader can understand the language but it still be educational. Exploration and respect for culture are central themes of this book. The author helps us explore the land and history of Alaska while explaining its culture and majesty to us.… (mehr)