Explorers: Amazing Tales of the World’s Greatest Adventurers

From ancient voyages into unfamiliar waters to journeys beyond Earth, Explorers brings young readers into the stories of people who pushed toward the unknown. Nellie Huang’s illustrated account ranges across sea and ice, land, and air and space, showing exploration as a mix of curiosity, preparation, endurance, and discovery.

The stories reach well beyond a single era or kind of adventure. Readers encounter figures such as Pytheas, Zheng He, Marco Polo, Jeanne Baret, Matthew Henson, Amelia Earhart, and Mae Jemison, with maps, photographs, and illustrations accompanying the historical profiles.

Follow the journeys across sea, land, and sky 🗺️

The book is arranged around three broad realms of exploration: sea and ice, land, and air and space. That structure makes it easy to move between very different expeditions—from navigating northern waters and crossing continents to reaching the poles and traveling to the Moon.

Meet the people behind the discoveries

Rather than treating exploration as one unbroken story, Huang presents individual adventurers and their journeys. The selection spans centuries and includes women and men from many parts of the world. Alongside landmark expeditions, the contents pause to explore related subjects, including the Age of Exploration, the darker consequences of exploration, Darwin’s discoveries, and the Moon landing.

History made vivid for younger readers

Maps help situate journeys in place, while photographs and artwork add visual context to the stories. A glossary and index offer useful ways to revisit names and terms or follow a topic further. The foreword by polar explorer Barbara Hillary adds a personal reflection on curiosity, resilience, and finding one’s own sense of adventure.

A lively starting point for curious minds

Designed as an accessible introduction to explorers and their expeditions, this book will appeal to young readers interested in geography, history, adventure, and space. Its varied profiles make it easy to dip into one journey at a time—or to compare how exploration has changed across different places and periods.