Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Ana's Nonfiction Blog.

My selection is "The adventures of Marco Polo" by Russell Freedman with illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline.

Did Marco Polo travel to China and beyond or were the tales he related exaggerations?  Newbery Medal-winner, Russel Freedman leads readers through the life of this 13th century adventurer in search of answers. The story of Polo's life and travels is every bit as exciting as his "Description of the World" that was published at the end of the century in which he lived and was one of the most popular books in Medieval Europe.  Freedman weaves an alluring narrative that incorporates Polo's descriptions in quotes without losing an historian's quest for facts. 

Ibatoulline brings a rich and unique aesthetic to the illustrations which vary in style from Western to Eastern as the text requires.  The book is further enhanced by the use of aged parchment style paper, calligraphy, and medieval reproductions to create a work with an historic feel.  Maps, author's notes, bibliography, remarks about the illustrations, and an index complete the work.