Voyage to the Pharos

By Sarah Gauch
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After much persuasion, Dino is allowed to accompany his father, a ship’s cook, on a sea voyage from Greece to Egypt sometime during the third century B.C.E. He helps the sailors untangle the rigging, takes them water as they outrun pirates, and serves as a lookout during a storm. Dino’s efforts are rewarded by his first awe-inspiring view of the Pharos lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as his reports of its location help the Hermes arrive safely in Alexandria. Large-scale illustrations capture the drama of the events to full effect. The open boat being tossed by crashing waves, Dino bravely climbing to his lofty post, and especially a spread of the Pharos rising up powerfully out of the sea will keep readers actively engaged. Roth varies his palette to increase the intensity of the perilous scenes and to highlight the joy of surviving unharmed. An author’s note explains how and why the lighthouse was built.—School Library Journal

It’s not often that the youngest readers have the opportunity to get swept away on a heart-pounding adventure, but this fictional voyage delivers just that. Set more than 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece, this tale features a brave young boy, Dino, who has been begging his father, a ship’s cook, to let him come along. He especially wants to see the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Finally his father lets him come, even though it’s early in the season, when gales are common. When the inevitable storm lands, one wonders why his father would put Dino in harm’s way, but hey, things were probably a little different back then, and the ship prevails. Roth’s sweeping, painterly landscapes, aerial views and dramatic close-ups of the windblown characters add a classically cinematic touch. Innocent and simple enough for younger audiences with plenty of suspense for the older set. Get some popcorn and give those kids a break from Pixar.—Kirkus

With a longer text than most picture books, this handsome volume offers a story set in ancient times on the Mediterranean. Dino is finally old enough to accompany his father, a ship’s cook, on a voyage from the Greek island of Rhodes to Alexandria, Egypt. There he hopes to see the famous Pharos Lighthouse, an enormously tall building topped with a mighty bonfire. Crossing the sea, their ship is chased by brigands and battered by a storm. Dino, always looking for ways to help the sailors, climbs perilously high above the deck in hopes of spotting the famous Pharos light. The vividly written story has nice phrasing and a simple dramatic arc. Left-hand pages carry the text as well as deft, black and brown drawings with blue highlights, while the facing pages feature large paintings with nicely varied perspectives and compositions. An author’s note discussing the Pharos Lighthouse concludes this unusual offering.—Booklist