This picture book for older readers offers a well-told account of Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl's dramatic 1947 sea journey aboard Kon-Tiki, undertaken to support his migration theory and hypothesis that South American Incan and South Pacific Island cultures were connected. Despite others' skepticism, he and a small crew departed Peru for Polynesia aboard a primitive raft. The voyage, spanning 4,300 nautical miles, was difficult and dangerous, including facing a life-threatening storm, which damaged the vessel and left them adrift, though ultimately, their arrival on Polynesian shores demonstrated that such a journey was possible. In clear, descriptive prose, the narrative traces the venture from its onset, including building Kon-Tiki, living daily on the sea, surviving weather, enduring shipwreck, and reaching land. A quote from Heyerdahl's journal heads each spread, with text inset into softly rendered watercolor illustrations depicting events with lush hues. An afterword further details the expedition and discusses Heyerdahl's book, a related Oscar-winning documentary, and his still-debated theory. Additional back matter includes a brief biography material, multimedia resources, a bibliography, and source notes.

In dramatic double-page watercolor spreads, Ray follows Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl and his five-man crew on their 101-day, 4,300-mile odyssey, in 1947, to prove that ancient Incan sailors could have reached the South Pacific by raft. Emphasizing high-seas adventure over theory, the story will capture the imagination of young readers with the drama of flying fish, gale-force winds, and giant waves. Bib.

Gr 2-5 Using concrete language and evocative watercolors, Ray tells the story of anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 voyage to prove his hypothesis that the ancient people of Peru traveled by raft to settle in Polynesia. Heyerdahl and his five-man crew sailed on the Kon-Tiki , a raft made of hemp and balsa wood that was named for an ancient Incan god. Their equipment consisted of a sextant, shortwave radios, and cameras to document their travels, and they subsisted mostly on fish. This extraordinary 101-day passage began at a harbor near Lima, Peru, and ended on an uninhabited island in Polynesia. Excerpts from Heyerdahl's own descriptions of frightening storms and calm and lonely days at sea appear in bold type on almost every page and greatly enhance the author's slightly dry narrative. A colorful map of the voyage on the endpapers complements the text. A short section, "Aftermath of the Impossible Voyage," explains that Heyerdahl and the crew were hailed as heroes for proving that a primitive craft could cross the Pacific Oceanbut recent DNA studies have not proven the Heyerdahl theory. A one-page biography of Heyerdahl is appended. VERDICT An intriguing and useful account of a remarkable journey. Jackie Gropman, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, VA