Shackleton's Journey

Author(s): William Grill

History & Politics | Places & People | Sophisticated Picture | Polar regions

Young, up-and-coming illustrator William Grill weaves a detailed visual narrative of Shackleton's journey to Antarctica.   Grill's beautiful use of colored pencils and vibrant hues effortlessly evokes the adventure and excitement that surrounded the expedition. His impeccably researched drawings, rich with detail, fastidiously reproduce the minutiae of the expedition.  


Children will love examining the diagrams of the peculiar provisions and the individual drawings of each sled dog and packhorse. This book takes the academic and historical information behind the expedition and reinterprets it for a young audience.

This beautiful, irresistible large-format picture book tells the story of the failed attempt by Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance to cross Antarctica on foot, starting in 1914. The expedition never set foot on the continent: Endurance was slowly crushed by pack ice in the Weddell Sea and the crew decamped several times across the ice to reach Elephant Island, from whence Shackleton and a few others sailed to South Georgia Island, where there was a whaling station from which they arranged their rescue, but the story is one of success of the human spirit: beset with the harshest physical and psychological conditions for two years (largely spent waiting, the most hazardous of human activities), none of the crew was lost. Grill’s wonderful illustrations capture the bleakness of the environment, the fragility of human presence on the ice and the myriad details upon which survival depended: the (named) dogs, the supplies, the activities of the individual in the crew. “I believe it is our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be to not explore at all.” – Ernest Shackleton


{THOMAS}


Product Information

Winner of Kate Greenaway Medal 2015.

Winner of the 2015 Kate Greenaway MedalA New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2014Best Children's Book of 2014, Wall Street JournalBest Children's Book of 2014, Brain PickingsA 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Book "Mr. Grill's manner of illustration lends itself beautifully to the juxtaposition of early-20th-century human ingenuity and the raw, indifferent power of nature.""Wall Street Journal" "A book every house should have.""The Guardian" "A magnificent chronicle by emerging illustrator William Grill, whose affectionate and enchanting colored-pencil drawings bring to life the legendary explorer and his historic expedition.""Brainpickings" "A perfect picture book for any would be historian or adventurer. ""This Picture Book Life" "Author William Grill does an excellent job telling this story so that the book can be both a resource for a child s book report as well as a captivating picture book for anyone wanting to learn about this expedition. But even more powerful than the narrative are the detailed and dramatic illustrations, done in colored pencils, many which, if framed, would look stunning on a wall. To top it all off, the textured book cover and raw, thick pages make this a book to flaunt on your coffee table or child s bookshelf.""Wink Books" "This is a book that will appeal to adult art lovers, picture book fans and history buffs (of which, I fall into all three categories), children and adult alike. The book s large format gives ample space for detailed colored pencil illustrations and the perfect pacing for such a fascinating journey." - "The Eric Carle Museum" "William Grill s well designed book is the perfect introduction for young readers to get a sense of the Endurance expedition." - "Mindy Rhiger" "An example of the arty but accessible [], the sketches evoke the feeling of a naturalist s diary with an almost documentary feeling as we peek into the mundane (six months provisions) isolating hardship (crossing the ice fields) and relief (rescue and survival)." "Lisa Von Drasek, Early Word" "The meticulously detailed colored pencil illustrations highlight the planning, the departure, the voyage, the rescue efforts, and the successful return of the crew after the loss of the Endurance on the ice.""Dragon Lode""

First time author and recent graduate from the University of Falmouth, William Grill is a fresh-faced new talent. With a slew of prizes and exhibitions under his belt, Grill's vibrant colors and cheerful illustration truly bring a book to life.

General Fields

  • : 9781909263109
  • : Flying Eye Books
  • : Flying Eye Books
  • : 0.65
  • : 01 February 2014
  • : 305mm X 245mm X 100mm
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : William Grill
  • : Hardback
  • : William Grill
  • : English
  • : 919.8904
  • : Full colour throughout