Brendan the Navigator

Brendan the Navigator lived long, long ago, when the Earth was divided into the Known and the Unknown Worlds and America was still a secret in the Unknown one. Right on the edge of the Unknown, Brendan was born, on the west coast of Ireland, which is as far west as a person could go in those days and still be on a map. Beyond him there was only the blue sea rolling out to meet the blue sky. And beyond that—what? Brendan, like everyone else, could only wonder and imagine.

This enchanting story of Irish Saint Brendan had me hooked by the end of the first paragraph. Author Jean Fritz tells the legend of Brendan and his voyage across the western sea to Paradise in the lyrical cadence of a born storyteller. Enrico Arno's illustrations show more capture both the details and the whimsical spirit of the text. The only flaw I can see is the lack of color in the black, white, and blue-gray illustrations. The book will work well as a readaloud and the story will appeal to readers of all ages. show less

Only 32 pages long, but clever, witty, and incisive. I particularly like the discussion of the evidence for the Brendan voyage and how, until 1960, the evidence for the Leif Ericsson voyage was no more than traditional tales, until the archaeological discoveries. The illustrations are rather clever, and obviously inspired by the Irish decorated manuscripts, of which the most famous is the book of Kells.