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Around the World

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 665 ratings · 161 reviews

A Scott O'Dell Award-winning graphic novelist follows three dauntless adventurers on a Jules Verne-inspired challenge: circling the world, solo!

As the nineteenth century wound down, a public inspired by the novel Around the World in Eighty Days clamored for intrepid adventure. The challenge of circumnavigating the globe as no one ever had before--a feat assuring fame if no...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Candlewick

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Newbery 2012

104th out of 136 books — 546 voters

Best Graphic Novels for Middle School

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Feb 22, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-lit-class

Intermediate Graphic Novel

Audience: due to use of various languages and higher vocabulary, I would put ages at 9-14 years. Length may also be a deterrent for some readers, so if a student is unfamiliar with graphic novels, I'm not sure this would be a helpful introductory book (at more than 200 pages). Adventurers, travel-lovers, and history-buffs would all enjoy this book.
Appeal: This book documents the real life adventures of some of the world's first pan-global journeys. Three different stori...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Amy Musser rated it 5 of 5 stars

This graphic novel begins with an enticing two page introduction to the basic plotline of Jules Verne’s novel, Around the World in 80 Days, which inspired adventurers in the late 1800’s. The rest of the book is divided into three sections. First is the story of miner-turned-cyclist Thomas Stevens, the first man to ride a bicycle around the world. Next, Phelan presents the adventures of determined newspaper reporter, Nellie Bly who circumvented the globe in just 72 days. The last section features...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Ashley Adams rated it 3 of 5 stars

Around the World
1. Junior Book: Graphic Novel
2. This graphic novel chronicles the real-life travels of three adventures that circumnavigated the globe, Thomas Stevens, Nelly Bly, and Joshua Slocum. Whether traveling by boat, bicycle, or under an 80 day deadline, this book proves to be a fun adventure for readers.
3. Critique:
a. The best element of this book is the character development of each of these real-life people.
b. Character development is clearly evident in this book as Phelan carefully...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Why did I read it?

Every month or so, I get a couple library magazines that roll across my desk. One of the main ones is VOYA (Voices of Youth Advocates). VOYA has great articles that deal with teen programming, and they also have a huge list of book reviews.

Around the World was one of the ones that my eye, so I asked our Acquisitions Librarian (the lady that orders our books) to buy us a copy. I'm always wondering if the books that I order because of a book review are any good, so I couldn't res...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, graphic-novel, biography, website

Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days inspired many adventurous souls to take up the challenge and circumnavigate the globe. Matt Phelan tells the stories of three of these adventurers.

First we have Thomas Stevens, former minor, who decides to travel around the world on a high wheeler, the predecessor of the bicycle. It takes him two years, but he travels the world and introduces the bicycle to many who had never seen it.

Next is intrepid reporter Nelly Bly, who with the support of her n...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Patricia Hruby Powell rated it 5 of 5 stars

In 1872, Jules Verne wrote “Around the World in Eighty Days,” the rollicking good novel of Phileas Fogg circling the earth. As the 19th century waned, adventurers were inspired to do likewise.
In the graphic novel, “Around the World” (Candlewick 2010), Matt Phelan tells the story of three such adventurers who take up the quest. If you’ve resisted graphic novels, resist no longer. Phelan’s art is captivating and dramatic without being bombastic.
Thomas Stevens, the first of the three adventurers,...more In 1872, Jules Verne wrote “Around the World in Eighty Days,” the rollicking good novel of Phileas Fogg circling the earth. As the 19th century waned, adventurers were inspired to do likewise.
In the graphic novel, “Around the World” (Candlewick 2010), Matt Phelan tells the story of three such adventurers who take up the quest. If you’ve resisted graphic novels, resist no longer. Phelan’s art is captivating and dramatic without being bombastic.
Thomas Stevens, the first of the three adventurers, is a former miner who sets out in 1884 on a high wheeler—an early bicycle with an immense front wheel. The bicycle was evolving as Stevens took his ride just as a four-wheeler driven by a gasoline engine was being born. Yep, the automobile. So you get some interesting history along with Stevens’ ride, which ended in 1886. This was no eighty day trek. Stevens didn’t use hot air balloons or camels as did Phileas Fogg. How did Stevens cross the oceans? Well, he took a steamship for those bits.
Next comes Nellie Bly, girl reporter, who sets out in 1889, backed by her newspaper, the “New York World”. By steamship, train, horse and carriage, Nellie races against time, gaining publicity along the way. She meets Jules Verne in France, has scheduling set backs, is threatened to be outdone by a surprise competitor, gains more supporters and fame, and circumvents the globe in seventy two days. Nellie becomes a celebrity—the first in the media-driven modern world.
In 1895 retired sea captain, Joshua Slocum, rebuilds a trashed vessel and sets out from Fairhaven, Massachusetts. His wife declines to accompany him, so he sails solo. In his thirty-six foot craft, Slocum navigates by the stars, weathers horrendous storms, a tsunami, hallucinations brought on by tainted food, the horrific conditions around Cape Horn, and finally he anchors back home at Fairhaven after three years on the high seas.
Phelan delves into the depth of his characters with such deft strokes of his pen that you feel his characters’ emotions.
“Reading” these three remarkable journeys is a grand adventure. If you love it the way I do, you might also try Matt Phelan’s “The Storm in the Barn” (Candlewick 2009). If you’re a teacher or the parent of a reluctant reader, consider graphic novels or “sequential art” as a bridge toward reading. To read graphic novels requires concentration and can teach the skill of inference.

Patricia Hruby Powell (www.talesforallages.com) is a nationally touring speaker, dancer, storyteller, librarian and children’s book author. You can see pictures of the books on her blog at www.talesforallages.com/reviews/
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Jun 10, 2012 Laura Bang rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: auto-bio-memoir, childrens, graphic-novels, history, nonfiction, travel

Nellie Bly, people!! ♥

Okay, but really, I love travel narratives and biographies of travellers and I keep meaning to read more graphic novels, so I was really excited when I saw this at the library. Plus, Nellie Bly! (She has been one of my heroes ever since I did a report on her in 11th grade history and she is so underappreciated that I get really excited whenever she turns up. She's awesome and deserves to be remembered. And now I will try to contain my Nellie Bly excitement for the rest of t...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphicnovels, history, non-fiction

Not all comic books are about superheroes, with dramatic action scenes and sound effects. This was a comic about a different kind of hero, not one of whom wore tights.

The three heroes in this book were all circumnavigators, back when circling the world wasn't as easy as booking a few flights. (Not that flying is all that fun these days. You do face danger, and boredom, on those super long flights where there's no leg room, and there's a high chance of dying from a blood clot, but I digress.)

My...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Patrice Sartor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, graphic-novel, historical-fiction, sports-or-activities, tween

3.5 stars. This is a graphic novel with three stories, each of them relating to an adventurer that traveled around the world. The first story is of Thomas Stevens and his cycling-round-the-world journey. This was my second favorite. In the middle is the tale of how reporter Nellie Bly 'raced' around the world at a time when people did not give much credence to what women could accomplish. My least favorite was the last one, about sailor Joshua Slocum, who goes a touch wacko in this story. Then a...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Victoria Whipple rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, history, tcp, thms

This is a book that lives up to all the hype! Phelan retells the stories of three intrepid adventurers who travelled around the world. Thomas Stevens rode his bicycle around the world in 1884, Nellie Bly travelled around the world by boat and train in 72 days in 1889-90, and Joshua Slocum had the longest journey by sailboat from 1895-1898. As usual, Phelan's illustrations done in pencil, ink, gouache and watercolor bring the stories and their subjects fully to life. His characters faces somehow...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Kris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mock-caldecott, childrens, historical-fiction, graphic-novel

Graphic novel, based on the true stories of three individuals who were inspired to travel around the world after the publication of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.

Elizabeth Bird: "...A gentle illustrator, Phelan has always been subdued. Expressions on his characters tend to show their subtler senses. His are cartoons that are not cartoonish, if that makes any sense. Of course about 70% of the men in these stories sport moustaches of varying size and walrus-like girth. Those fellows d...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Wandering Librarians rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, good-for-anyone, graphic-novel, non-fiction

In 1873, Jules Verne wrote Around the World in Eighty Days, and exciting adventure of a man racing against time. The book inspired real life adventures to circumnavigate the world. In this graphic novel, the stories of three individuals at the end of the nineteenth century are told, who all went around the world in very different ways.

The first story is of Thomas Stevens who from 1884 to 1886 rode around the world on a bicycle (naturally taking a boat at the water bits). And not the bicycle you'...more In 1873, Jules Verne wrote Around the World in Eighty Days, and exciting adventure of a man racing against time. The book inspired real life adventures to circumnavigate the world. In this graphic novel, the stories of three individuals at the end of the nineteenth century are told, who all went around the world in very different ways.

The first story is of Thomas Stevens who from 1884 to 1886 rode around the world on a bicycle (naturally taking a boat at the water bits). And not the bicycle you're probably picturing. One of the ones with the gigantic front wheel and a tiny back wheel.

The second story is Nellie Bly's, a female reporter for the New York World who set out in 1889 to beat the Jules Verne hero and go around the world in 74 days.

The final story is about Joshua Slocum, a mariner. In 1895 he set out in a small boat to sail around the world, not returning until 1898.

This was a lovely graphic novel. The illustrative style is similar throughout the book, but the color scheme is different for each story. Stevens' story is in blues and grays, Bly's story is more colorful and vibrant with yellows and blues, and Slocum's is the most subdued in dark blue, gray and brown.

I know the story of Nellie Bly, but I'd never heard of Thomas Stevens or Joshua Slocum before, and it was fascinating reading about them. Slocum's story and the least words, and was very sad. It was about his trip around the world in his little boat, but it was really about his sadness and loneliness about the loss of his beloved first wife. Although he's remarried, he clearly still loves her a misses her.

Nellie Bly came off as a total jerk in her story. It might be based on fact. She probably had to be very assertive and not let other people push her around. She was doing things that were unheard of for women. She's glaring or squinting angrily in most of her illustrations. And saying rude things. If it's based on fact, then fine, otherwise, why make her look so unpleasant?

Definitely a very pretty as well as informational graphic novel. Recommended!(less)

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Dec 17, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, ncbla

The author/illustrator of The Storm in the Barn starts this graphic novel with the story of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, and then tells about the adventures of three individuals who likely drew inspiration from the book. Although Thomas Stevens, Nellie Bly, and Joshua Slocum may have little in common other than a sense of adventure and a determination among the naysayers that surrounded them, each went on incredible journeys and made their ways in their own unique fashion. Thom...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-kids, comics-and-graphic-novels

Around the World is a stunning marriage of history and fiction that reads like a memoir. The book recounts three journeys around the world by three amazing individuals, and offers some suggestions for how these journeys may have impacted personally the people who took them. Phelan (Storm in the Barn) has practically mastered the ability to convey important information using gorgeous watercolored panels and relatively little dialogue. He narrates the events enough to streamline their flow, but he...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: I enjoy graphic biographies and while I wasn't too impressed with Matt Phelan's Storm in the Barn, thought I'd give him another go.

This is the story of three late 19th century "around the world travelers". The book opens with the scene from Verne's famous book of the same name where Phileas Fogg makes his bet to travel around the world in 80 days. It was the publication of this book that inspired many real life adventurous types to set off and do the same thing. Told separate...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Valeta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chapter-books, biography, graphic-novels, my-reviews, historical-fiction

Summary
This book tells about people who have traveled around the world. In 1872, Phileas Fogg made a wager with his fellow reform club members that he could tour around the world in 80 days. In 1883, Thomas Stevens rode a bicycle around the world. In 1889, Nelly Bly went around the world in just 72 days. Captain Joshua Slocum sailed around the world in 1895.

Response
My favorite quote from the book was by Nelly Bly. She said “As I always say: If you want to do it, you can do it. The question is:...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Jason Penckofer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19thcentury, ushistory, travel, graphicnovel, adventure, nonfiction

A quick synopsis of Around the World in Eighty Days segues into these three separate stories of real people who circumnavigated the globe late in the 19th century. The only one I was familiar with was Nellie Bly from reading Bylines: A Photobiography of Nellie Bly, which I would certainly recommend as a follow-up to children intrigued by her story here. I was happy to see excellent end notes which explained some of the process of making this book as well as giving the titles of books that Phelan...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Stacy Ford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kennedy-2012, graphic-novel, hist-fic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Literary Quality: Phelan crafts three different stories based on three different people who traveled around the world. Thomas Stevens traveled around the world on a bicycle. Nellie Bly was a girl reporter who gave herself and 80 day limit to travel around the world. Joshua Slocum traveled around the world in his sailboat. All of the stories happened prior to aviation.

Characters: Each character is presented with the conflict of circumnavigating the globe. The reader mainly identifies with the cha...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

These graphic novels of historical fiction have become a real habit for author/illustrator Matt Phelan; and who, after all, does them any better than he? With a touch of whimsy to his characters' smiles and the bold wishes of a few determined people to go against all odds and change the world, a story is born; not from the author's imagination, but from the actual journeys of three real people who chose, each in his or her own way, to circumnavigate the globe in the tradition of Ferdinand Magel...more These graphic novels of historical fiction have become a real habit for author/illustrator Matt Phelan; and who, after all, does them any better than he? With a touch of whimsy to his characters' smiles and the bold wishes of a few determined people to go against all odds and change the world, a story is born; not from the author's imagination, but from the actual journeys of three real people who chose, each in his or her own way, to circumnavigate the globe in the tradition of Ferdinand Magellan and Phileas Fogg (fictional though the latter may be). Battling their critics, situational obstacles and the limits of human physiological stamina and contemporary technology, Thomas Stevens, Nellie Bly and Joshua Slocum each set out to accomplish a feat that had never been successfully completed...even, for some of them, if it meant devoting years of their life to the task.

Bicycles were pretty much old hat by the time Around the World was first published in 2011. How many American kids didn't own a bicycle, or even more than one? Most kids learned to ride while still in early elementary school. Back when the penny-farthing model bicycle was first released in the late 1800s, though, bicycles were still considered a weird new contraption, one that was not likely to ever catch on with the masses. Avid cyclists were self-proclaimed "wheelmen", making for a strange spectacle anytime they went out in public riding one of their peculiar bicycle machines. It wasn't until Thomas Stevens undertook an expedition to ride his penny-farthing across the United States that the bicycle really had its chance to shine. Making his way thousands of miles on a machine as unstable and potentially dangerous as the penny-farthing was a scene too fascinating for most Americans not to watch, and Mr. Stevens became quite famous as he slowly chugged from coast to coast. Little did he know that when he arrived at his original final destination, an idea would already be in the works for him to traverse all the way around the globe on his bicycle, with the help of boats to carry him and his ride across the seas and oceans. The trip was a long one, and must have been physically draining; the people in some areas of the world were quite welcoming, while others were less than happy at the appearance of his strange new vehicle. Thomas Stevens never gave up, though, continuing to pedal his way around the world until his determination paid off and the bicycle became viewed as a legitimate mode of travel. To think that one man could have such an effect, all because of a small idea that kept growing bigger and bigger and the extraordinary efforts of the man who continued to grow along with it.

"As I always say: If you want to do it, you can do it. The question is: Do you want to do it?"

―Nellie Bly, Around the World, P. 146

At a time when female news reporters were a rarity, Nellie Bly was a true star in the making. The book Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne had recently been released and was enormously successful, but what if a person could actually make it around the world in fewer than eighty days...say, seventy-four? And what if that person just happened to be a woman, one willing to go without sleep and reside in uncomfortable, tightly cramped quarters for more than two months if it meant latching on to a news story that had the potential to go worldwide? Nellie Bly was just such a woman, and did not hesitate to embark on the ambitious quest to best Phileas Fogg's mark of eighty days to circumnavigate the globe. Battling the elements, people who didn't wish to see her succeed, unexpected competition for the record and the demanding nature of her self-imposed time constraint, Nellie fought to show that there truly was nothing she couldn't do if she put her mind to it, and challenged all of us to see ourselves in the same way. Who better to know what one is capable of achieving than oneself, and what better incentive could there be for accomplishment than knowing that one is trying to do something that no human being before has ever successfully done?

Then the troubled sea captain, Joshua Slocum, takes center stage. It has fallen to him to sail his boat around the world alone, becoming the first person ever to make the journey without a crew of sailors at his assistance. Tormented by the memory of his late wife, and bothered by thoughts of the wife he left behind to go on this journey, Captain Slocum sets off across a waterworld that holds many dangers, even for the experienced seaman. Even more dangerous, for him, is that he enters this untamed world of blue above and blue beneath while struggling with his own inner demons, not entirely sure what is real that he sees, and what is rising from the dark corners of his imagination. For Captain Slocum to live through his journey will, indeed, be a more tenuous task than it was for Thomas Stevens or Nellie Bly, who at least had others to help them, and were in no real danger of losing their lives. Slocum's survival, on the other hand, is very much up in the air, and though there are no cheering crowds to greet his arrival in a new body of water and no news crews to record his every word, the drama is thick as he struggles to stay alive, battling the ghosts of his life at the same time as he struggles with the angry waves that threaten to destroy him. But even if he does survive the fury of the seas, will he have a reason to keep on living afterward?

In my mind, it's really the "Author's Note" that best explains why Matt Phelan did this book. It was always about more than just recording the exploits of three daring figures from history. As Matt Phelan, himself, says, he was interested in juxtaposing the public journey―recorded so thoroughly by the reporters who knew that the public always enjoys hearing about a good adventure―against the more quietly dramatic personal journey of the person attempting to make it around the world. Why did these three people agree to embark on such difficult odysseys, sacrificing their time, health and possibly even their lives? Around the World, at its core, is about digging deeper into these stories to find out the "whys" that accompany them; and, in so doing, to encourage us to ask ourselves what might make us risk it all to achieve something of lasting importance. Around the World is a good book, well-illustrated and thoughtfully constructed, and I would definitely give it two and a half stars. (less)

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Apr 05, 2012 Amy added it

Shelves: 2012, comix-j

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel tells the story of three different people who each circumnavigate the globe. Thomas Stevens travels by bicycle; Nellie Bly travels by boat and train (and is trying to make the journey in less than 80 days); and Joshua Slocum travels by boat. In an author's note, Phelan comments on how he tried to show each individual's personal motivation for traveling, and I think he did an excellent job with this piece of the story. My favorite part was the artwork, t...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Danine rated it 4 of 5 stars

A delightful travel graphic novel about three people who attempted (and succeeded) travelling around the world in the late 1800s. I loved, loved, loved researching the lives and events about Thomas Stephens, Joshua Slocum, and Nellie Bly. I enjoyed looking up the details about the Centennial Exposition of 1876. I found out that there was an actual Nellie Bly board game. There is a modern version of the game distributed by Pomegranate. The game is actually a puzzle and once you complete the puzzl...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Marika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Many local teachers have been using graphic novelizations of classic stories in their classrooms. Phelan's Around the World, though fiction, is grounded in historical fact and quotes from primary sources, proving an exciting base for history lessons or a path to the exploration of non-fiction. Phelan's book presents three famous individuals who each circumnavigated in the world in his or own way: Thomas Steves by bicycle, Nellie Bly by ship and rail, and Joshua Slocum by sail boat. The pacing an...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Betsy by: GraceAnne

Book phenomenons are something, aren’t they? Get the right writer and they can use words alone to inspire people to do the craziest things. Whether it’s Wizard Rock or standing on docks to find out if a favorite character has died, as long as there has been literature there have been people taking books to heart in surprising ways. Around the World in 80 Days may be one of the more extreme examples of this. Had Phileas Fogg not set out to traverse the globe in a matter of scant days, he could no...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: artsy, bizarre, graphic-novel, historical-fiction, history, hmmm, middle-grade, nonfiction, readin2013

I really love Matt Phelan's art, and so I picked this one up. There are three main story arcs, each following a different person who circumnavigated the globe. The first one, Thomas Stevens the cyclist, was the least engaging. I wasn't really invested in the story and it didn't feel like much happened. The second story, about Nellie Bly, was really great, making up for the blandness of the first. Phelan did a great job capturing Nellie's grit and determination. The third story, about Joshua Sloc...more

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Feb 06, 2012 carissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-graphic-novels, middle-school-reads

Recommended Ages: grades 4-8

As the nineteenth century wound down, a public inspired by the novel Around the World in Eighty Days clamored for intrepid adventure. The challenge of circumnavigating the globe as no one ever had before--a feat assuring fame if not fortune--attracted the fearless in droves. Three hardy spirits stayed the course: In 1884, former miner Thomas Stevens made the journey on a bicycle, the kind with a big front wheel. In 1889, pioneer reporter Nellie Bly embarked on a globa...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have never read a juvenile non-fiction graphic novel before. But, for someone who loves Jules Vern's, Around the World in 80 Days... this is a must read! It follows the adventures of three people who also loved Jules Vern's classic. These individuals challenged themselves to travel the world in less time! All had different reasons and means of transportation. Thomas Stevens, Wheelman 1884 traveled the world on a bicycle, helping to popularize it. Then Nellie Bly, Girl Reporter 1889, had to ove...more

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May 05, 2013 Brett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-graphic-novel

This nonfiction graphic novel looks at three different journeys taken around the world just prior to the turn of the last century: that of Thomas Stevens by bicycle, Nelly Bly's race to beat the hero of Jules Verne's famous novel "Around the World in 80 Days," & finally Joshua Slocum's trek in a small sloop. Each story has a similar overarching theme, but Phelan shows the differences, from motivation to actual travel route & time, & also how the world saw each journey as well as how...more

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May 14, 2012 Shana Dempsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is by the same Author as Storm in the Barn. The illustrations in this book are great but compared to Storm in the Barn, this book has more pictures and more of a story line. This book is inspired by Around the World in 80 Days. This book had three heros that were circumnavigators: a cyclist, a reporter and a guy who sailed on a boat. The cyclist rode around the world and where he stopped, people just wanted to know about it. I mean, come on!! Who wouldn't want to know about some guy wh...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Mary Fran Torpey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school

Phelan, the excellent author/illustrator behind The Storm in the Barn, presents three stories of 19th-century adventurers who set out to circumnavigate the globe: Thomas Stevens, an early bicyclist in 1884, Nellie Bly, intrepid reporter in 1889, and Joshua Slocum, a sailor in 1895. (Spoiler alert: they all make it.) Each episode is driven in large part by Phelan’s cinematic drawings, so students may not find a lot of historical detail here. But Phelan’s presentation is beyond factual--somehow th...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Susie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm embarrassed that I didn't know more about Nelly Bly, and I knew nothing about Stevens and Slocum. To me, a good measure of a book is if it generates so much interest that I just have to know more. In this case, though, I need to know more because I was a bit confused about Slocum in particular. I liked Phelan's note at the end of the book describing the way the book evolved into more of a "why" than a "what" book.
I often decry the lack of variety in biographies; it seems like the same person...more

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About Matt Phelan

Matt Phelan made his illustrating debut with Betty G. Birney’s The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster). Since then he has illustrated many picture books and novels for young readers, including Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli (Dial), Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle (Harcourt), and The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (Simon & Schuster) winner of the 2007 Ne...more

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Quotes from Around the World

“As I always say: If you want to do it, you can do it. The question is: Do you want to do it?

―Nellie Bly” — 3 people liked it

“I wish I were a rose...that you might wear me for a buttonhole bouquet on your journey. But I wonder...would you throw the rose away when it faded?” — 1 person liked it

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