My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More

My Antarctica was an interesting glimpse into one author’s adventures visiting Antarctica. Through a grant, G, Neri left his sunny home of Florida to travel to Antarctica and learn everything he could about the people, animals, and the place to write a book for kids. The mixture of real photographs and comic-style overlays on the images help transform this nonfiction book into a quirky read-along that feels like a friend telling you about a cool trip they went on. It is deeply personal as he makes a tribute to his friend who was an explorer of the Antarctic and died tragically nearly 30 years ago. He admits he wasn’t great at science in school so this isn’t a technical-heavy book but his sharing of what he learns is done in a clear and approachable way that will be of interest to others who want to see the wonders of the pristine continent.
The human-interest aspect of the book was appealing. I certainly haven’t given a lot of thought about human waste and how it all gets packed out and shipped back but it was engaging to learn about. Learning there is a gift shop, ATM, and other places of interest in the compound was almost as interesting as seeing the wildlife photos. Overall, this book captures the beautiful landscape and the unique experience the author had while leaving room for the reader to feel inspired by the possibility that one day they could also visit.

“My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More” by G. Neri, illustrated by Corban Wilkin, takes readers on a journey to a place not traveled so often, but a place that piques readers’ curiosity just the same. Any child who dreams of exploring, traveling the world, and seeing unique sights will enjoy the pictures and accompanying text that detail life in Antarctica.

Photos of the icy horizon, coupled with learning what you can and can’t do on the continent, as well as information about McMurdo Station, the main hub for US science in Antarctica makes the book relatable and fascinating. It’s cool to learn that McMurdo Station sits at the base of an active volcano named Mount Erebus. The station also has a food galley, a small gift shop, barbershop, library, basketball court, fire station, general hospital, yacht club (though there aren’t any yachts), a helicopter pad, and so much more.

Some myths are dispelled in a listing of things you won’t find in Antarctica, including polar bears (which are instead found on the North Pole), grass, trees, schools, pets, traffic jams, night (in summer), day (in winter), bugs, and Internet! But what you will find are dorms, a church, two libraries, three gyms, a giant science lab, a radio station, a gift store, an aquarium, an ATM, and lots of other interesting places.

The book is rounded out with cool images of the toilets of Antarctica, pictures of icebergs shaped like things (think about how you might sit and watch the clouds and decide what they look like), and reading about how the author had so many penguin sightings, they started calling him “the penguin whisperer.”

There is so much to learn about this enticing, exotic place that not many get to visit, but readers get a great look into the continent of Antarctica through this insightful, experiential book.