Voyage to the Pharos

by Sarah Gauch, Roger Roth (Illustrator)

Determined to see the largest building in the world, the lighthouse in the port of Alexandria called Pharos, Dino works his way onto a ship that will take him to his destination, but while on the harrowing journey, survival quickly becomes his main mission.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Africa, Ancient History, Adventure, Egypt

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 5 out of 5]

For children who want to learn more about ancient times, this is a wonderful book to begin the journey. In fact, I would suggest it before tackling lighter child versions of Troy and Alexander, as it provides a stepping stone while using one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Completed in 285 B.C., the lighthouse of Pharos must have been a magnificent wonder to behold. The first Ptolemies were responsible for the construction, and the winding tower stood for over 1,700 years until earthquakes finally brought about its ruin. The 400-foot structure had 24-hour capabilities at its very top, using a mirror to reflect the sun's rays during the day and a massive bonfire for night. A giant statue of Poseidon, God of the Seas, stood above the beacon to let the sailors know they were being watched and protected.

Sarah Gauch is the author and her text is engaging, as the young hero learns he has a place while helping the sailors and the galley rowers (Gauch lives in Egypt and one gets the feeling she loves the ancient world). Illustrations are by Roger Roth, and they are beautiful.

Here is a tale of adventure for young and old. Thanks be to the Pharos.

Book Season = Summer (as Helios lights up the Med)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful large illustrations. There was more text per page than I was expecting but I enjoyed the story about a lesser known wonder, the Pharos lighthouse. We were studying Egypt recently and learned about it so it was nice to have a kids book about it too. I liked how Dino found little ways to help during their journey.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sometimes-too-wordy picture book detailing the adventures at sea of a young boy who is allowed to go along on a voyage to Alexandria. His father is the ship's cook, and young Dino is thrilled to accompany him and get a good look at the famed Pharos lighthouse. Attractive, often full page art conveys the action and a note at the end of the book tells more of the story of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Third grade and up.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I love historical fiction and I love the history and mythology of Classical Greek and Rome. So I wanted to love this book too. Just didn't work, though.
For starters, it's a lot of text. Especially for a picture book. That's why I've shelved it as an Easy Reader as well. No storytime potential here, despite the beautiful illustrations.
Secondly, nothing really happens. It's all about the voyage, very little about arriving there - like the title itself says. But how exciting can a sailing trip be? Pirates are encountered but never seen. A storm comes up (an almost mandatory event in any story about sailing), but the other eventful weather they encounter is when the wind dies - a lack of weather. So lots of anticipation and endless seas with very little payout upon arrival.
The historical notes are interesting though, and for older audiences who don't mind the abundance of text or a slower story, this could be a simple story introducing the classical period.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little picture book.

[Chrisanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The purpose was all too clear. And the audience was not defined very well.

[☼Pam Might Read Too Much ☼]

I saw "Voyage to the Pharos" at the library and snatched it up. Loving history myself, I was thinking that this story would be a great introduction to the ancient world for my 7 y.o. old son.

The story is about a boy whose father is a cook for sailing vessels. He has grown up on the Isle of Rhodes hearing the tales of exotic places from his father. He longs to see these marvels, particularly Alexandria, with it's Pharos lighthouse-- one of the wonders of the ancient world. (It remains THE tallest lighthouse ever built.) One day that permission comes and they set off on the adventurous trip.

Talking Points:::
I really like the artwork by Roger Roth. It's very appealing and done realistically enough, and accurately enough, that kids ought to be able to learn quite a bit just from his drawings.

I thought Sarah Gauch did a good job in not letting facts overwhelm the adventure. I also thought she did a good job of showing what the threats were to such ventures. There's being becalmed, brigands, and storms.

My 7 y.o. unfortunately wasn't gripped by the story. I think though that this reflects more on his age than the quality of the story. Written at AR 4.5 level, I think the book is better suited to older elementary aged children or even middle-schoolers who already have an interest in the ancient world.

If you go to Amazon they have sample pages.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com

[Susie White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voyage to the Pharos is the story of Dino on his first adventure aboard Hermes, the ship his father is a cook for. Set in ancient Greece, Dino anxiously awaits their arrival in Alexandria to see the famous Pharos lighthouse. All the while, Dino must take on responsibilities to help the crew make it to Alexandria safely and ends up being the eyes that guides them into the shore. The book ends with the crew on land in Alexandria, but hardly goes into detail about the Pharos, which is what Dino had waited for along.
I would have liked the ending to describe the Pharos and their safe landing a little bit more in depth. I think that this book has some cool details about Ancient Greek culture, however it would likely be more of a classroom library book than one to read-aloud or do an assignment on due to only small bits of telling information.

Gauch, S., & Roth, R. (2009). Voyage to the Pharos. New York: Viking.

[Jeremiah Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

We borrowed this book for Classical Conversations Cycle 1.

My 6, 4 and 2 year olds all loved this book! The story was excellent and the older two recognized many places and people they had learned about in Classical Conversations such as Rhodes, Alexandria, the Mediterranean Sea, Alexander the Great, and 2 of the 7 wonders. Additionally they were introduced to the perils of traveling at sea and why lighthouses were such a critical invention for early seafarers.

I noticed other reviewers mentioned the story was "wordy" and lacked excitement, but we did not find that to be the case. Perhaps it was due to my kids' young ages.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book with it's catching illustrations, give a boy's eye view of what it might have been like to be an ancient Greek, sailing on a merchant ship. It's a gentle story with mild peril, just perfect for a child who wants a happy ending. The storm may be a tad scary for younger kids, but it resolves happily. The boy is a positive social role model (thankfully the text is not moralizing, just good natured), as he finds ways to help about the ship without being asked, and his good works help the ship's outcome.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library last week. He liked the lighthouse on the cover.

For a book that features both brigands and a storm at sea, this book is a bit of a snore. I think the writing is just too dense for a picture book. The illustrations, on the other hand, are wonderful and wonderfully done.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about the Pharos lighthouse, one of the tallest structures in the world at almost 400 ft tall.

An author's note follows the story and contains information that entices readers to further explore this subject. Grades 3-5.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a tad too wordy for a picture book.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book to accompany the study of Alexander the Great, Alexandria, and the Pharos. My son and I enjoyed it after listening to the Story of the World -- Ancient Times -- audio book.