Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole chronicles the 18 year journey to reach latitude 90° North. After thousands of bitter-cold miles, African-American explorer Matthew Henson, Admiral Robert Peary, and four Inuit men complete the last leg of their grueling journey on April 6th, 1909.  They reached the North Pole.

School Library Journal calls this a “strikingly illustrated illustrated picture book” which “tells of the life of a man whose achievements were, until recently, largely overlooked.”  Many know the story of Robert Peary’s 1909 expedition, but few realize that Matthew Henson, was more than Peary’s assistant. He was vital to the expedition. Henson was born just after the Civil War when few opportunities were available for black people. This brief biography brings life to a great but under-recognized figure from America’s past, perfect for ages 6-10.

Celebrate their discovery on April 6th by visiting your local library and sharing it with the young reader in your life. Read on for more information.

Peachtree will be releasing a Paperback version in the Fall!

Here’s a sneak peek into the future: bundle up for Fall 2015 Polar Regions!

Husband wife team John and Cathryn Sill just stopped by our offices to share their latest work, inspired by their recent trip to Alaska, though you’ll find Antarctic as well as Arctic here.  Maybe you envision stark white landscapes, sometimes dotted with black and white penguins and whales, but John painted with all of the colors in his palette.

I don’t want to spoil the page turns of Fall 2015, but here are some snapshots of the lovingly rendered animals you’ve come to expect in the About Series.  They are neither stiff scientific illustrations nor the awkwardly anthropomorphic, but that successful place in between where anatomically correct animals still have soul and life.  John paints them perfectly into their polar environments, and that’s what is so dazzling about this title.  Maybe it’s because John shared his watercolor technique, but maybe it’s because you didn’t expect the sweeping landscapes of the polar extremes to be so colorful.

Top row: bikini ready Southern Elephant Seal, a southern region sky, baby Chinstrap Penguins (aww!)
Bottom row: Art Director Loraine Joyner likes the aurora australis, the whole book at once