Review by Booklist Review
Starting with his contemporary experiences on a refurbished 1920s steamship, Zimmermann offers an overview of the history and mechanics of steam-powered boats. Crisply reproduced archival and contemporary photos and drawings illustrate the chapters, which delve into the advent of the Age of Steam and the heyday of Mississippi River boating, as well as the types of steamboats--from excursion paddleboats to workhorse ferries and bulk carriers. Page-length text boxes offer short biographies of steamboat pioneers and enthusiasts, such as Robert Fulton and Mark Twain. Zimmerman writes with a clear passion for his subject, and the extensive detail in his text will captivate the mechanically curious, who will share the author's enthusiasm for information about reciprocating steam engines and the well-coordinated labor required to operate the vessels. An author's note and a glossary close this attractive, oversize title on a subject that's rarely covered in children's books in such detail. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-At first glance, this appears to be a nicely designed title, but it suffers badly from overuse of parentheses; a wordy, almost rambling text; and undefined vocabulary. Youngsters will be attracted to the subject and the cover, but the author's flowery, folksy, and sometimes archaic word choices will likely leave them bewildered. Some terms are defined in a glossary, but items such as "boom," "hold," and "mooring lines" are left unexplained. Too many topics are often discussed in the same paragraph. The narrative describes steamers across North America and Europe. Unless readers are familiar with the geography of these two continents, Lake Luzern, Lake Superior, and Martha's Vineyard will have little or no meaning, and no maps are included. The color photography is excellent, showing all kinds of steam-powered vessels. Full-page boxed sections cover topics such as Robert Fulton, Mark Twain, and the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The photos might make this an additional purchase, at best, but the text is disappointing.-Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Historical and modern steamboats and their roles in transportation and commerce are covered thoroughly. The author's passion for his topic is evident through his meticulously detailed histories of individual vessels, though the dense text will likely overwhelm readers looking for a basic introduction to the subject. Many contemporary and historic photographs of various types of steamboats help break up the pages. Websites. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Despite lines like "the wheelhouse was alive with vibration from the wind, moaning and shrieking," this disappointing companion to Steam Locomotives: Whistling, Chugging, Smoking Iron Horses of the Past (2004) reads less like a similarly robust tale, and more like a tedious tally of names and routes. Zimmerman opens with a personal but abruptly truncated voyage aboard a coal-fired Lake Michigan cargo vessel, and closes with a question about the "authenticity" of modern steamships. With only occasional breaks for historical anecdotes, she uses the main text to list ships that once plied--or far less commonly, still ply--lakes, harbors and straits in North America and parts of Europe. An array of stately Mississippi riverboats, utilitarian ferries, graceful excursion boats and rugged "Lakers" are shown to good advantage in the many sharp, bright color photos, and Zimmerman has certainly done his research--but young readers aren't going to come away understanding how these ships were built or operated, or why anyone should care. (resource list) (Nonfiction. 9-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
