The Discovery of the Americas

The American Story #1

by Betsy Maestro

From the crossing of the Bering Land Bridge over 20,000 years ago to the arrival of the Europeans, this classic picture book paints the early discoveries of America in grand strokes. The text is useful for both the classroom and at home as it combines beautiful landscape illustrations with factual maps, timelines, chronological tables, and easy-to-use appendixes. "The dazzlingly clean and accurate prose and the exhilarating beauty of the pictures combine for an extraordinary achievement in both history and art."— School Library Journal "The Maestros do a real service here in presenting the more familiar explorers in the context of all the migrations that have populated the Western Hemisphere.... An outstanding introduction."— Kirkus Reviews Supports the Common Core State Standards

Genres: History, Picture Books, American History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Geography, School

48 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 1991

About the author

Before beginning her career in children's books, Betsy Maestro was a teacher. Her first book with Giulio Maestro was A Wise Monkey Tale published in 1975, and since then they have collaborated on more than one hundred books. Their on-going American Story series began with the highly acclaimed The Discovery of the Americas and continues to help young readers understand and appreciate our nations history.

The Maestros live with two cats and a goldfish in a converted cow barn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Ammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that the Maestros don't white wash history. We will read others in this series.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really coming to appreciate the work that the Maestro's have done with their picture books for children. They are well written, cover a surprising amount of facts without reading like a text book, and are wonderfully illustrated.

Ages: 6 - 12

Cleanliness: a few pictures of natives wearing only loincloths. Mentions the last Ice Age and that the first Americans probably came to America on a land bridge 20,000 years ago.

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[Georgia Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are amazing! The color is beautiful and adds to the information!

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my boys, ages 11, 10 and 7. I liked this book a lot! It was so much more whole and complete about the discovery of the Americas verses what I learned in school, which was Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. This book does take an old earth approach, but for me that was okay. The illustrations were colorful and beautiful, and the various threads of history were weaved together to give a more accurate picture of the discovery of Americas. Great book.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just finished a homeschool history unit on the Age of Exploration and the voyages of Columbus, Vespucci, de Gama, and Magellan, it seemed like a good time to read a book about the multiple discoveries of the Americas (first buy the ancestors of Native Americans tens of thousands of years ago; possible voyages of the Chinese, Japanese, Celts, and Phoenicians; Leif Eriksson; Columbus; etc. Pretty good stuff.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but as a young earth creationist you have to take their skewing of the timeline with a grain of salt

[Karissa Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for teaching a true history (not the Christopher Columbus discovered America history) of the beginning of America.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author/illustrator team (and husband and wife) Betsy and Giulio Maestro explore the discovery of the Americas by various groups of people in this first of six non-fiction picture books chronicling American history from ancient times to 1815. Beginning with the migration of nomadic hunting groups over the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia to North America some 20,000 year ago, the narrative covers the settlement of North and South America and the development of major civilizations like the Maya, Aztec and Inca. Possible sea voyages to the Americas in early times, made by Europeans and Asians, are mentioned, as is the verified Viking settlements in Greenland and Vinland (modern-day Newfoundland). The Age of Discovery, and various voyages of exploration that led to the rediscovery of the Americas by Europeans and the opening up of the globe—Columbus, Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci, Balboa, Magellan—are also covered, and the book closes with a few pages of back matter, including a Table of Dates, a list of important Peoples of ancient and early America, a discussion of the Age of Discovery, how the Americas got their name, and a list of other interesting voyages...

Published in 1991, The Discovery of the Americas is the first of the six-volume The American Story series from the Maestros, who have apparently collaborated on over ninety books. It is only the second I have read from Betsy Maestro, after her Why Do Leaves Change Color? , and the first from Guilio Maestro. I sought it out because I know this pair are prolific creators of non-fiction for younger children, and was interested to see how they would present American history. Would they gloss over the less admirable parts? Would they focus on them too narrowly, turning said history into a dirge of wrongs? Would these books make a good set for introducing younger children to the scope of American history, whether in the classroom or through homeschooling? On the whole, my reaction was favorable. To the adult eye this is but an outline, and no single topic is covered sufficiently. But as a jumping off point, to present the long story of human discovery and rediscovery of the American continents, it was informative and balanced. There was discussion of the negative impact of European contact with the Americas, but it was not allowed to dominate the narrative, and the admirable aspects of exploration were also covered. I think this could make an excellent basic text for these topics, when teaching children, and could be used with other titles that cover specific topics—native civilizations, specific explorations, etc—in order to expand on what it presented here. It is for that purpose that I would recommend it.

[Jeanie Cullip · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the inside cover of the book, Betsy Maestro writes,

"In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus crossed the ocean blue... But he wasn't the first to do it!"

The Discovery of the Americas: From Prehistory Through the Age of Columbus is a picture book for history students of all ages, providing an alternate perspective to those others taught about the 'founder" of the Americas. Maestro shares the arrivals of people to today's North America and South America from twenty thousand years ago to the present. There is no clear date at when the first people who came upon this land; however, Bjarni Herjolfsson voyage is the first proven one to see it. Him alongside the Vikings of Norway first sighted North America in the tenth century; whereas, Leif Ericson landed there in the year 1000. The book continues with other stories of people arriving to this area: Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, and many more. The book concludes with Additional Information: Table of Dates, Some People of the Ancient and Early Americas, The Age of Discovery, How the Americas Got Their Name, and Other Interesting Voyages. A factual based story, told in words for young and old to understand in addition to the reference section in the back makes this book a must have in an Elementary classroom.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could rate this higher! I got this book in a bag of old children's books off of Facebook marketplace, and for obvious reasons was hesitant to put it on my shelf.

I read it, and it's amazing. I learned things I didn't know, and there was a lot that was like, "This is just a theory. No one knows for sure."

But the best parts are the accuracy of these lines:

"The Europeans did not care that the land and gold already belonged to other people, who were there before them. Although these explorers were brave men, they were often brutal and cruel to the native people."

and

"But, for [the Native Americans], life would never be the same. The Europeans brought in diseases that killed many of the natives and a strange new way of life they did not understand or accept. Many lost their lives, and most lost their freedom, their customs, and their people. They could not fight the powerful weapons the Europeans brought with them."

Wonderful. I'll definitely be keeping this book.

[Rachel Behrends · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely artwork and full of interesting information about different explorers of the New World. However, it does not follow a young earth creationist view, and some language needs to be edited while reading aloud. It takes your standard politically "correct" position, portraying colonialism and the spread of Christianity and Western culture as bad things. It also deceptively states that the natives "owned the land and the gold" in the new world without acknowledging that much of the land was unclaimed and unutilized. No one tribe owned the land, but what land wasn't a complete desolate wilderness was often fought over, and to the Victor went the spoils (as in all of human history). This is honestly probably my least favorite of the picks for the Beautiful Feet Early American History K-3 curriculum.

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the historical overview was a nicely balanced summary, touching on al the important characters without great detail but with all the important highlights. The illustrations are amazing - both gorgeous and informative, with lush scenery, artifact detail and helpful maps. To me, it was exactly what a book of this kind ought to be. Quite satisfying.

[Erendira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good resource for the homeschool, and was recommended reading for the Beautiful Feet Books Early American History curriculum. This book is a living book, and adds well to any Charlotte Mason method of home education. I will add that the references at the back of the book were especially helpful because is encapsulated the ancient and indigenous peoples' histories.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent consolidated account of the early history and theories on the peopling of the North American continent. This is a book that I purchased as part of the Beautiful Feet Books curriculum but confidently know that we will pull it off the shelves as a reference for years to come.

[Janet Bruins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed informative and jam-packed with information. It’s wild to think how unthinkable it would be today to publish a book like this without a bibliography, footnotes, or even a named fact-checker — and yet it still holds up. Loved it.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had hoped this book would go into more detail about prehistoric life in the Americas, but it is a good overview of the various times in history people settled on this continent.

[Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old book published in 1991, wildly speculative in the beginning pages about the beginning of civilizations, it gets better as it goes into verifiable exploratory trade route voyages. Good introductory book to launch a student into further study. The map of Columbus’ voyages is missing the return route of his third voyage. Pictures are nice; maps helpful.

[Leila Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for grade 3 homeschool. Really liked it, good pictures and interesting story.

[Christy Pruett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Used with our homeschool curriculum however dates are not accurate for a creationist worldview.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old earth view present, otherwise excellent overview.

[Mary Koeven · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of the early inhabitants of the Americas for young children, with lovely illustrations. It gives a basic introduction to what we know about pre-Columbian civilizations and how they lived. I especially like that it mentions archaeological evidence that some early Americans may have come by sea from various locations in addition to those who came across the Bering Land Bridge. A good homeschool history book for younger kids.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

We finished this today - it took us 4 days. Overall I think this is a great book. It provides a brief overview of the explorers who 'discovered' America (both North and South). The pictures are beautiful and the maps of each explorer's voyage(s) were well done. We went upstairs to our big map and traced the voyages there to help them with geography a bit more.

At the beginning of the book there's a page or two about the first people coming to America from Asia over a land bridge. I discussed with my boys that this is a theory, as is Pangea and a few other ones. We talked about how maybe all of the theories are right, maybe none of them are. There is also some slight 'the lives of the Native Americans were never the same due to disease and cruelty and such and so.' It wasn't heavy handed though and didn't make me grind my teeth.

I think that for this level (3rd grade) we need a little more information than what was given here so we'll be adding in a few biographies for some of the 'bigger names'. We'll also try some map work to really learn their voyages. For younger grades this would probably be sufficient. You could probably use this for 4th-6th as review, but not as the main text.

I also think you could read this in 2 or 3 days. I just had a fussy baby with a cold and we weren't able to read as much as I wanted to each day. An older child (using this for review) would be able to read it in a day or two.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a teacher and looking for a social studies book that contains almost all the people involved in finding America, then this book is for you! Oh my goodness! "the discoveries of the Americas" is FULL of information. So full that you would most likely have to split up the reading by topics. From the ice age all the way to Amerigo Vespucci, this book is all you need for an American history project. The pictures in this book make it more suited to younger readers as well. I would definitely suggest this for K-5 grade maybe even 6th. Students could use this as a great source for research as well! Betsy an Giulio Maestro must have spent a lot of time on this informational picture book. There are wonderful illustrations and text. The text on each page can be a bit much, but how else are you suppose to fit that much information into one book? I will definitely use this is my teacher future and will for sure suggest it to others! Don't miss out! Get this book and see what I mean!

[Leon Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

SS4H2 The student will describe European exploration in North America.
a. Describe the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of the Spanish, French, and English explorations of John Cabot, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Juan Ponce de León, Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, and Jacques Cartier.
b. Describe examples of cooperation and conflict between Europeans and Native Americans.

An enjoyable read with pictures describing and illustrating America before European exploration and the discovery of America. Beautiful pictures illustrating maps and routes of migration and explores. Great book as supplemental text for use for students to identify the voyage of Christopher Columbus. Identify geographical locations and routes. Students could construct time-limes and describe the role and culture of the great explorers supporting with quotes from the book about Columbus, Magellan,and Balboa.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a read around that covered how people came to America in prehistoric times up to the pilgrims. I wanted my daughter to get the big picture that there were millions of people living in the Americas before it was "discovered" by Europeans. This book is perfect. It starts with the migration of people on foot via the Bering land bridge, the change in climate causing the end of that link and also how the climate change changed how people lived in the Americas. Then goes on to explain why the different explorers set out and what they found. The maps are especially wonderful and really help explain all the information within the book. Much of the information we learned will be added to our timeline as we work our way through the beginnings of America's history. Great book!!

[Emily Pandilidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Betsy Marstro is a wonderful informational book. With time-lines, maps, chronological tables, and illustrations. The book starts all the way in the ice age and goes into when Christopher Columbus finds the New World. With all the correct facts, Marstro does a wonderful job of telling the story of the America's with many visuals to go along. The vocab is appropriate for students around grade 5. With all the information entailed in this book I would suggest to break it up and teach seperate lessons. The illustrations add a great fun way for students to see what the world was like.

[Jonathan Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book explained how America was discovered. It began in the Stone Age, informing readers of the peoples who inhabited America before Columbus arrived. Then it spent a bit more time on Columbus and some of the explorers after him. The pictures were large, vivid, and beautiful, which I loved. It was a great way to easily understand the timeline of who discovered our land and when they did it. This book would be perfect to quickly summarize all of the explorers that discovered America and their stories. It wasn't particularly engaging, but it was informative.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my children in one sitting. It's a lovely, succinct overview of the many voyages people have taken to North and South America throughout the ages. I like how the Maestros put the journeys in perspective by including prehistoric travels from Asia to North America. This was a great addition to my daughter's history lesson about the voyages of discovery of the 15th and 16th centuries.

[Samina · Rating 4 out of 5]

With amazing pictures and story of the different explorers, Betsy and Giulio Maestro do an excellent job introducing the different explorers and the Americas. This book starts off with the great migration from the Bering Strait into Alaska and Canada. The amazing pictures show where and how they migrated with illustrated maps showing the path they took. This would be great to use as an introduction to social studies.

[Julesmarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly the time period of the Americas that I cover with my students, so this book is a delightful resource. I especially appreciate the images of Beringia, and of the earliest Americans learning to plant crops.