Eric the Red The Viking adventurer

Gr 2-5-Based on old Icelandic sagas, this account of the life of Eric the Red and his son Leif is an exciting adventure story. As the author states, we don't know how much of these ancient tales are true, but recent archaeological discoveries in Greenland give credence to some of the events. The full-color illustrations that take up half of each page capture the bold spirit of these daring Vikings and the tumultuous times in which they lived. A short index makes this title more useful for reports than Barbara Schiller's Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky (Troll, 1979) and Matthew Grant's Leif Ericson, Explorer of Vinland (Creative Education, 1974). Of course, Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire's Leif the Lucky (Doubleday, 1941) remains a classic and has more detail about the old Norse religious beliefs.-Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

These brief biographies of three authors, two explorers, and one political activist present their subjects in clear and engaging prose. Accomplished half-page and spot watercolors on each page highlight key moments in each person's life. Time lines are appended to all but [cf2]Eric[cf1] (which features a source note) and [cf2]Gandhi[cf1] (a glossary). Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This entry in the What's Their Story? series goes beyond the well-known image of the famously fierce Eric the Red to unveil a driven explorer and founder of a new land. Eric, like his father, became an outlaw due to his hot temper and the killings that were the unfortunate outgrowth of the many skirmishes that arose. His outlaw status and a dearth of farm land inspired Eric to go exploring. During a three-year expedition, Eric and his men saw Greenland; Grant (The Great Atlas of Discovery, 1992), wryly comparing Eric to a travel agent as he promotes the new land, divulges the origins of Greenland's name. ""Although it was mostly covered with ice, he called it 'Greenland' because, he said, people are more likely to go to a place if it has an attractive name."" The biography offers a good, dense overview of Eric's daring explorations, his leadership, the discoveries of his son, Leif, and the impact of Christianity on the Vikings. Focusing on the accomplishments of the Vikings instead of the bloodlust that has historically characterized their labors, Grant refers without glorification to the violence that was part of a warrior's life. Ambrus's meticulous illustrations vividly portray Eric's times. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.