Henry, Leilani Raashida. Call of Antarctica, The: Exploring and Protecting Earth’s Coldest Continent. Non-fiction. 21st Century, 10/2021. 128pp. PLB $37.32. 978-1-5415-6095-6. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES 6-12.
This overview on the exploration of Antarctica and its current condition is told from an unusual perspective. The author uses her father’s diary (George W. Gibbs, Jr.) to describe his experience on visits to the continent beginning in 1940. He was the first Black person to go there as part of the crew with Admiral Byrd. These brief personal passages about his experience enliven the narrative, which describes Antarctica’s geography, science, and history; later parts of the book go into the current ecological challenges of the area. The use of primary sources makes this an excellent model of research on an engaging subject. There are b&w and color photos on every other page, along with maps and sidebars that break up the text. Back matter includes an index, source notes, glossary, and bibliography.
Penny Peck, San Jose State Univ, iSchool