James Rumford, himself a world traveler, has retold Ibn Battuta’s story in words and pictures, adding the element of ancient Arab maps—maps as colorful and evocative as a Persian miniature, as intricate and mysterious as a tiled Moroccan wall. Into this arabesque of pictures and maps is woven the story not just of a traveler in a world long gone but of a man on his journey through life.
Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta 1325-1354
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-"In the days when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta." So begins this introduction to the journeys of this historically important but probably little-known, 14th-century Muslim figure. Born in Morocco and raised as a scholar, he began his 29 years of travel in 1325 when, "At twenty-one, he decided to go to Mecca as a pilgrim." He went on through Africa, across the steppes of Asia, into India and China, and back to Morocco where "he told his story to the Moroccan court secretary Ibn Juzayy, who wrote it down in Arabic." Rumford's simply written adaptation is often surprisingly eloquent. For example, Ibn Battuta comments on his voyage: "Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." "Traveling-it had captured my heart, and now my heart was calling me home." On each page, a portion of the text appears within its own bright white narrow road crossing elegantly bordered illustrations that shine with generous amounts of gold, red, and deep blue. This text also flows into and out of larger frames. The artist adorns many of these illustrations with Arabic and Chinese calligraphy, providing translations for the longer phrases at the end of the book. A few maps are included and they are executed with the same attention to presentation. A glossary of names, places, and important words provides essential information in an accessible format. Simply put, this is a beautifully crafted work that will undoubtedly spark interest and encourage further study.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Review
"Traveling—it gives you a home in a thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land." This quote captures the essence of Ibn Battuta, a 14th century Muslim scholar who spent 30 years traveling over 75,000 miles throughout parts of Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Based on Battuta's actual retellings to a Moroccan court secretary and the author's careful research about the languages, maps, travel and artifacts of the times, this biographical picture book is a complex artistic marvel. Each double-page spread highlights an event from Battuta's travels and carries a title as a chapter book might, for example, "At the Edge of the World," or "Death as Black as Night." Typically, on one page is a first person journal-like entry, the text presented formally inside a colorfully framed box; on the facing page a lush Persian miniature style painting illustrates the event, such as Battuta riding a camel across part of Africa or sailing a boat in the Maldives. Backgrounds for the illustrations and boxed text feature calligraphy in Arabic, Chinese, Persian or English and are detailed with artifacts, designs and patterns associated with the various historical locales and cultures. Translations of the calligraphy appear with the endnotes but were difficult to use. A glossary, maps and author's note authenticate the depth of the writer's knowledge and research. The endpapers, formatted and captioned like a sort of ancient photo album, have gorgeous inky blue renderings of the places Battuta visited and the various companions he met along the way. Without sacrificing the flavor and accuracy of the era, Rumford's freshly imagined use of color, design and format move hiswork beyond illustration into the realm of museum-quality painting. Traveling Man is a 2002 Robert F. Sibert Informational book honor recipient. 2001, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Darcy H. Bradley (Children's Literature )
Gr 3-6-"In the days when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta." So begins this introduction to the journeys of this historically important but probably little-known, 14th-century Muslim figure. Born in Morocco and raised as a scholar, he began his 29 years of travel in 1325 when, "At twenty-one, he decided to go to Mecca as a pilgrim." He went on through Africa, across the steppes of Asia, into India and China, and back to Morocco where "he told his story to the Moroccan court secretary Ibn Juzayy, who wrote it down in Arabic." Rumford's simply written adaptation is often surprisingly eloquent. For example, Ibn Battuta comments on his voyage: "Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." "Traveling-it had captured my heart, and now my heart was calling me home." On each page, a portion of the text appears within its own bright white narrow road crossing elegantly bordered illustrations that shine with generous amounts of gold, red, and deep blue. This text also flows into and out of larger frames. The artist adorns many of these illustrations with Arabic and Chinese calligraphy, providing translations for the longer phrases at the end of the book. A few maps are included and they are executed with the same attention to presentation. A glossary of names, places, and important words provides essential information in an accessible format. Simply put, this is a beautifully crafted work that will undoubtedly spark interest and encourage further study. (School Library Journal )
Gr 3-6-"In the days when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta." So begins this introduction to the journeys of this historically important but probably little-known, 14th-century Muslim figure. Born in Morocco and raised as a scholar, he began his 29 years of travel in 1325 when, "At twenty-one, he decided to go to Mecca as a pilgrim." He went on through Africa, across the steppes of Asia, into India and China, and back to Morocco where "he told his story to the Moroccan court secretary Ibn Juzayy, who wrote it down in Arabic." Rumford's simply written adaptation is often surprisingly eloquent. For example, Ibn Battuta comments on his voyage: "Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." "Traveling-it had captured my heart, and now my heart was calling me home." On each page, a portion of the text appears within its own bright white narrow road crossing elegantly bordered illustrations that shine with generous amounts of gold, red, and deep blue. This text also flows into and out of larger frames. The artist adorns many of these illustrations with Arabic and Chinese calligraphy, providing translations for the longer phrases at the end of the book. A few maps are included and they are executed with the same attention to presentation. A glossary of names, places, and important words provides essential information in an accessible format. Simply put, this is a beautifully crafted work that will undoubtedly spark interest and encourage further study. (School Library Journal )
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ibn Battuta, Traveler of His Age.....,
This review is from: Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 (Hardcover)
"In the days when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta." So begins Traveling Man, the eloquent story of a fourteenth century, Moroccan man's 75,000 mile, worldwide expedition. Heading first to Egypt, then on to Jerusalem, and Arabia to Mecca. He then traveled across the steppes of Asia to India, the Maldives, and on to China, thought at the time to be the end of the world, before finally, after 29 years, returning home again. Once home, Ibn Battuta told a court scribe about his journey and many adventures, and this written record is the basis for James Rumford's remarkable and mesmerizing story. His lyrical and engaging text is full of imagery, mystery, and magic, and complemented with elegant, creative, and vivid, artwork, done in hues of gold, red and blues. Together word and art transports the reader to a long ago place and time, on an amazing and fantastic journey. A glossary, afterword, and detailed map at the end, provides additional information to further enlighten and enhance the experience. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, Traveling Man is an evocative masterpiece that shouldn't be missed. As Ibn Battuta wrote..."Traveling - it offers you a hundred roads to adventure, and gives your heart wings!"
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What you don't know,
By
This review is from: Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 (Hardcover)
What you, as the reader of this and all Jim's books, don't know is that Mr. Rumford has lived, studied and worked in many of the places where his stories take place. He is a linguist, an historian, and an artist. So while this tale and his other stories may seem fictional, the element of realism is very strong. He not only reads and speaks these languages, he has studied how they are written--and seeing the embelishments in this story, you wonder. These symbols are real and accurate, produced by a true Renaissance man.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354,
By Nura Moad (Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 (Hardcover)
This is an excellent book for kids and adults alike! It's one of my son's favorite - he is enthralled by Ibn Battuta's adventures and likes to look at the beautiful illustrations. The Arabic script also makes this book interesting; it's not often that one comes across this sort of writing here. For me, it is a simple introductory of a man that I have heard of, but had not known much else. I wish this man is as famous as Marco Polo!
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First Sentence:
IN THE DAYS when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN THE DAYS when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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