Review Detail

“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.