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The Impossible Voyage of Kon-Tiki
Combining history with culture, the ocean with exploration, and risk with triumph—this rich offering is the only picture book account of Thor Heyerdahl's world-famous Kon-Tiki expedition, during which he sailed a raft 5,000 miles from the coast of South America to the islands of the South Pacific.Author Deborah Kogan Ray clearly and succinctly sets up how Norwegian anthropologist Heyerdahl became convinced that ancient Peruvians arrived in the South Pacific via raft, why he wanted to re-create the voyage, and how he planned for it. She uses primary-source quotations on each spread to shore up the factual history of the events portrayed in the book. Her illustrations add emotion to this harrowing journey.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 22, 2024
I accidentally checked this out instead of the original book about the voyage. I’d love to purchase it for the kids’ library. Beautiful book, good story.
January 13, 2016
When Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl proposed a theory that ancient Incans had traveled by raft from South America to the islands of the south pacific - a distance of approximately 4,300 nautical miles - everyone thought it was simply impossible.
So when Heyerdahl was asked if he would be willing to try the voyage himself on a flimsy balsa wood raft, he rose to the challenge. Heyerdahl had based his theory on the resemblance between statues made by ancient peoples in South America to those of the mythic Tiki found on the Polynesian island of Fatu Hiva.
On April 28, 1947, after building a raft which he called the Kon-Tiki, Heyerdahl set off from Peru with a crew of five men - four Norwegians and one Swede. Not only did Heyerdahl want to prove his theory, but he was also asked to test survival gear by the United States Navy. Carrying very little food with them, the crew mainly lived on what they could catch everyday, and the flying fish they found on the deck each morning. They carried a radio to report on weather and other meteorological conditions, but everyone aboard the Kon-Tiki knew that if they ran into trouble, there was no possibility of rescue.
Almost immediately, the south Pacific Ocean proved itself to be a forceful obstacle to the voyage of the Kon-Tiki, with its powerful winds and towering waves. Did the Kon-Tiki prove itself to be sea worthy? Did the raft make it to the south pacific islands with all men intact and prove Heyerdahl's theory?
I was very curious to read this wonderful picture book for older readers. I had read Heyerdahl's book, Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft in high school and had found it fascinating. It is nice to see that this exciting story is now made accessible to younger readers.
Deborah Kogan Ray has organized the story of the Kon-Tiki so that each two page spread, headed by a quote from Heyerdahl's book, shows another step in the voyage of that simple raft. Ray's realistic illustrations are done using watercolors in a soft palette very tropical blues, greens and browns. The illustrations are at once beautiful and powerful, often demonstrating the mountainous waves of the Pacific in relation to the small raft, as well as other perils the men of Kon-Tiki faced.
Ray has included a map (above), a short biography of Thor Heyerdahl and an Bibliography for further exploration.
Most people don't think much about the voyage of the Kon-Tiki anymore and this is a nice reminder of the brave men who undertook that trip.
This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
So when Heyerdahl was asked if he would be willing to try the voyage himself on a flimsy balsa wood raft, he rose to the challenge. Heyerdahl had based his theory on the resemblance between statues made by ancient peoples in South America to those of the mythic Tiki found on the Polynesian island of Fatu Hiva.
On April 28, 1947, after building a raft which he called the Kon-Tiki, Heyerdahl set off from Peru with a crew of five men - four Norwegians and one Swede. Not only did Heyerdahl want to prove his theory, but he was also asked to test survival gear by the United States Navy. Carrying very little food with them, the crew mainly lived on what they could catch everyday, and the flying fish they found on the deck each morning. They carried a radio to report on weather and other meteorological conditions, but everyone aboard the Kon-Tiki knew that if they ran into trouble, there was no possibility of rescue.
Almost immediately, the south Pacific Ocean proved itself to be a forceful obstacle to the voyage of the Kon-Tiki, with its powerful winds and towering waves. Did the Kon-Tiki prove itself to be sea worthy? Did the raft make it to the south pacific islands with all men intact and prove Heyerdahl's theory?
I was very curious to read this wonderful picture book for older readers. I had read Heyerdahl's book, Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft in high school and had found it fascinating. It is nice to see that this exciting story is now made accessible to younger readers.
Deborah Kogan Ray has organized the story of the Kon-Tiki so that each two page spread, headed by a quote from Heyerdahl's book, shows another step in the voyage of that simple raft. Ray's realistic illustrations are done using watercolors in a soft palette very tropical blues, greens and browns. The illustrations are at once beautiful and powerful, often demonstrating the mountainous waves of the Pacific in relation to the small raft, as well as other perils the men of Kon-Tiki faced.
Ray has included a map (above), a short biography of Thor Heyerdahl and an Bibliography for further exploration.
Most people don't think much about the voyage of the Kon-Tiki anymore and this is a nice reminder of the brave men who undertook that trip.
This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
February 17, 2017
Really interesting story about a little-known theory and voyage.
Note: I received a digital review copy through NetGalley.
Note: I received a digital review copy through NetGalley.
October 31, 2015
'The Impossible Voyage of Kon-Tiki' by Deborah Kogan Ray takes the story about the famous expedition and boils it down to a middle grade reader in brilliant fashion. If the other reviews I've read are to be believed, this hasn't been done before and it's about time.
Thor Heyerdahl took a 5,000 mile journey on a raft from South America to prove a theory about migration. It was certainly dangerous and just the kind of thing I would have loved to learn about in 5th grade. The story is told here in text and pictures with each new page of text headed up by a quote from Thor Heyerdahl. There are also some nice end notes for further study. The kind of things Thor did after the journey and a short bio about him.
It's a concise version of the story, but well condensed and not overwhelming for younger readers. The pictures are colorful enough. I like the current map at the beginning of the book showing the journey. Even though I know the story, I found it to be a well done version of it for younger readers.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Charlesbridge and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Thor Heyerdahl took a 5,000 mile journey on a raft from South America to prove a theory about migration. It was certainly dangerous and just the kind of thing I would have loved to learn about in 5th grade. The story is told here in text and pictures with each new page of text headed up by a quote from Thor Heyerdahl. There are also some nice end notes for further study. The kind of things Thor did after the journey and a short bio about him.
It's a concise version of the story, but well condensed and not overwhelming for younger readers. The pictures are colorful enough. I like the current map at the beginning of the book showing the journey. Even though I know the story, I found it to be a well done version of it for younger readers.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Charlesbridge and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
November 20, 2017
It is amazing that it has taken so long for this amazing event -- Heyerdahl's journey to prove his theory that ancient Incans voyaged to the South Pacific by raft -- to be shared with young readers. (Thor Heyerdahl adapted his 1950 book for middle/high school readers in 1960.) This book provides an excellent opportunity to meld science (theory proofs, wind/weather, water currents) with social studies (anthropology, maps/geography) into a cross-curricular unit. A map on the endsheets of the book give perspective to this adventure. Ray is brilliant to include primary source materials (quotes from Heyerdahl) to frame her telling of the story, filled with detail. An exciting true adventure story that happened nearly 70 years ago.
October 24, 2020
I have fallen in love with the works of Deborah Kogan Ray. Her illustrations are magnificent, and this book was definitely no exception. I have learned so much from her books, and each book has whetted my appetite to learn more.
September 17, 2015
Highly recommend for intermediate grade students studying how different parts of the world were populated, or ocean currents, or scientists and their practice, or any number of other topics. The author develops the idea that Thor Heyerdahl, the anthropologist, actively pursued proving a theory, that this required the collaboration of many individuals and groups, that the journey was harrowing while also successful. The author uses quotes from Thor's journal, a primary source, as an anchor for each segment of the journey. The map on the end-papers is very well designed and helpful to the reader as they read about the team's journey across the Pacific. The illustrations/paintings support the ideas in the text and sometimes extend the ideas - you get a sense of how distressing the waves were in one particular storm because of the way she has painted the waves and water. (Okay...I'm not an artist and cannot articulate this very well!!!) Again - a good addition to a text set for a unit of study.
February 12, 2016
I began my life in a tiny town in the mid-west, moved to a nearby city in middle school. We didn't travel much, and the wide world was only available to me in books. I remember well reading Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki, and later Aku-Aku about the Easter Island statues. And I was mesmerized. Kon-Tiki opened up a world I would never have known, and I did other research to discover more about the way different peoples of the world ended up where they were. I was so excited to read this book which tells the basics of Heyerdahl's ideas, then his exciting voyage. The pictures are just as exciting, especially those when they were hit by a fierce ocean storm. There is more information in the back matter, including notes and a bibliography. The book will be great for any students doing research of real-life adventures.
October 22, 2015
Informative and adventurous retelling of Thor Heyerdahl's voyage aboard Kon-Tiki, accompanied by lavish watercolors. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students, each double-page spreads begins with a quotation from Thor and then the author transitions into the story. This is a compelling plot device, mixing primary source material well & in an authentic way. Includes historical notes about Thor and what happened after his journey, as well as a bibliography and source notes. Highly recommended.
June 28, 2016
This book was a glorious depiction of a factual narrative detailing, what was originally deemed impossible, the voyage of Kon-Tiki and information about Thor Heyerdahl. This book was wonderfully illustrated and written, providing factual statements within a flowing narrative that the reader would not want to put down. I also appreciated how additional information was provided about after the voyage and about the life of Thor Heyerdahl; as well as the fact that supplemental resources were supplied, if the reader was interested in learning more.
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November 21, 2015
Very cool. I remember hearing about the Kon-Tiki when I was a kid, but by the time I was old enough to read the books, my interest had waned. This book is perfectly sized for the young adventurer, and will undoubtedly make many explorers interested in the bigger story!
February 4, 2016
Excellent use of source quotes--one quote per spread.
The book is nicely structured, too, narrowed down to only issues related to the voyage.
The voice is reportorial but always told from Heyerdahl's point of view. It's a really exciting story.
The book is nicely structured, too, narrowed down to only issues related to the voyage.
The voice is reportorial but always told from Heyerdahl's point of view. It's a really exciting story.
March 22, 2016
I remember seeing Heyerdahl's documentary as a kid and checking his book out of the library. This picture book distillation of the trip is a nice introduction for a new generation of young readers. Plenty of back matter supplied at the end.
November 14, 2018
Great NF title! Highly recommend. Tells the incredible tale of a raft journey from South America to the South Pacific. Kids will love this as will adults.
January 30, 2016
Great introduction to Kon-Tiki for young readers. Captures the adventurous spirit of the explorers and the challenges of the voyage. Fantastic illustrations as well.
October 22, 2016
Didn't realize this is a J book. I have requested the NF books on Heyerdahl.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews