We are explorers Extraordinary women who discovered the world

Profiles of 14 women explorers encourage adventure and respect for nature's diversity. They were artists and naturalists, botanists and tour guides, pilots and travel writers, activists and mountain climbers, a marine biologist, and a doctor-turned-astronaut. What they all had in common were the curiosity and bravery that pushed them to explore places far from home, challenging ideas of where women can go and what they can achieve. Each profile opens with a portrait and a brief description of a dramatic scene in which the explorer might have found herself--a storm at sea, an avalanche, a rocket launch--followed by three spreads describing the explorer's achievements, concerns, and legacy. Each spread includes archival images of the explorer or her artwork, which enhance the presentation considerably, transporting readers through time and space and making tangible the women's contributions. This collection is decidedly Western in perspective; only three of the profiles feature women of color or Indigenous women. The text makes a point of distinguishing between admirable feats and the cultural chauvinism that White travelers often carried, but readers may need to dig deeper to question some travelers' decisions, such as Alexandra David-Néel's disguise as a Tibetan to enter the Forbidden City of Lhasa. To the extent that the history of exploration can be disentangled from that of colonialism, this thought-provoking collection makes deep inroads. A thumbnail portrait, birth and death dates, location, and claim to fame for each woman follow the main text. Exciting and inspiring. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Collective biography. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.