Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea; Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh (author) Raúl Colón (illustrator) Simon & Schuster (2016) picture book biography grades Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea is a book for anyone interested in maps and map-making. It tells the story of Marie Tharp who,as a girl, loved maps. She […]
Treasure Island – the story of the map that inspired a book
I still remember the day that I opened an old copy of Treasure Island and read these words: And so begins one of the world’s greatest pirate novels with arguably the most well-known map included in a book. This is the classic adventure written by Robert Louis Stevenson, which tells the tale of the […]
Swallows! Ahoy! adventures illustrated with maps
‘Ahoy! Ahoy! Swallows! Ahoy!’ This year for the A to Z Blog Challenge, I have been on the lookout for maps in children’s literature. When I shared my theme, a number of bloggers asked if I was going to write about Swallows and Amazons. I answered, “of, course!” But, truth be told, I had never […]
R is for Redwall – a world with maps
Fantasy series are the ones that most generously include maps which enable readers immediately enter and gain an understanding of the world the characters inhabit. The Redwall series is not exception. REDWALL by Brian Jacques (author) Troy Howell (cover artist) maps drawn by different artists series began in 1986 and ended in 2011 Redwall is […]
Q is for Quilts – Leading the way to freedom
Slavery is a difficult but important topic to teach to young children. One of the best ways is to share stories featuring the amazing Freedom Quilt Maps. These quilts sewn with block patterns were displayed as signals to slaves as they set out to the north during on the Underground Railroad. Because quilts were so […]




