The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
Written by Kathryn Lasky
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Little Brown and Company
ISBN 0-316-51526-4
This colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes, who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe’s circumference, is just right for budding mathematicians, scientists, historians, and librarians! Still a favorite since 1994!!
Awards
American Library Association Notable Book
Library of Congress Notable Book
Parents' Choice Honor Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
IRA-CBC Children’s Choice
Land of Enchantment Book Award
Reviews
“Hawkes's pop-eyed characters burst with intelligence, while his lively full-bleed paintings include touches of humor. An excellent contribution.”
Kirkus
“Hawkes's paintings are rich and warm and filled with touches of humor, making the people, as well as their environment, come alive. The pictures combine with the text to give a clear explanation of how the man came to make his key discovery about the Earth's circumference.”
School Library Journal - starred review
“Entertaining as well as instructional, the text presents the man, the story, the geometry, the geography, and the ancient world itself in simple prose. Hawkes’ attention to detail and his occasional visual humor will reward any child who studies the illustrations.”
Booklist
Insider's Scoop
When I received the manuscript for The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, I wondered if the editor had sent it to the wrong person. This would be my first non-fiction picture book. Did they realize what I was going to do to ancient Egypt with my curved lines and quirky perspectives? I called the editor and asked if she had made a mistake. She assured me that they did indeed want me! It took me two more years of drawing and research before The Librarian finally came to life.
