The Primary Source Explorers series provides basic information about the lives and accomplishments of European explorers while commenting on the role primary sources play in determining historical conditions and events. Opening with an introduction to primary sources, each colorfully illustrated book covers topics such as the explorer's personal story, his ambitions, the funding for his voyages, and his experiences in the New World. Although reproductions of artifacts and historical documents often appear in children's books, here period portraits, paintings, prints, drawings, and maps are considered in terms of whether they are primary source documents or later works. The often-dire effects of European contact on the North American people whose lands were explored and exploited are also addressed. In Sieur de La Salle, well-chosen illustrations with informative captions guide readers along the French explorer's North American travels and claiming of the Louisiana Territory. This series offers a useful perspective on Europe's age of exploration.