This book presents 10 of history’s preeminent explorers, including those children will have heard of (Marco Polo, Columbus, and Magellan) and a few that may be new to them (Alexander von Humboldt, Richard Burton, and Roald Amundsen). Each explorer’s tale is told in a few pages, but with an appreciation for high adventure and intriguing detail, and readers who find themselves engrossed will want to dig deeper elsewhere. The brightly colored, cinematic cartoon illustrations depicting scenes of steely-resolved heroes and their dramatic exploits will appeal to young graphic-novel readers and lend an air of excitement and drama to the well-crafted story lines. While the focus is predominantly on Western European explorers, an opening section mentions the early explorations of Polynesians, Middle Easterners, and Scandinavians, as well as the extraordinary Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta. Adventure-seeking boys will be especially drawn to this book; girls looking for inspiration will find only a small paragraph on Mary Kingsley at the end. A companion volume, 10 Leaders Who Changed the World, is also available. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

Grade 4–6—These collective biographies present highly visual four- to six-page accounts of each subject's early life, major discoveries or accomplishments, and legacy. A helpful feature describes a connection between each person and the one who follows in the book. For example, in Explorers, Gifford cites the influence of Marco Polo's writings on Christopher Columbus. In addition to the 10 main entries, an appended section provides one-paragraph summaries of additional explorers and leaders. Colorful, attractive cartoon graphics represent significant events in each individual's life, but are sometimes overly dramatic. Explorers has a Western European focus, while Leaders has a bit more diversity. It includes Mohandas Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Franklin Roosevelt, Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Mikhail Gorbachev, Fidel Castro, and Nelson Mandela. Women are featured only in the "other" sections. A minor error crops up in the claim in Leaders that Kennedy was the youngest U.S. president. Gifford's balance is admirable in that he presents the bad as well as the good in each life. Overall, these are attractive, competently written summaries of some of history's major personalities.—Jeffrey A. French, formerly at Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH