Black Whiteness : Admiral Byrd Alone in the Antarctic
Gr. 4 and up. The author of several previous picture-book biographies, among them,Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh(1991), offers a stunning profile of determination, stubbornness, and courage that is also a slice of real history. In restrained, lyrical prose ("Night is coming on, / Pressing down with its blue-black shadow"), Burleigh surely and sharply pits a man against the elements as he recounts the solitary vigil of Admiral Richard Byrd, who lived for months alone in a small underground structure, sending back information on Antarctica's weather and testing the boundaries of human endurance. Selections from Byrd's diary, which appear in cursive, add immediacy and depth to the account, which eventually turns into a riveting survival story after Byrd falls gravely ill with little hope of rescue. The evocative, perfectly modulated text will be wonderful for reading aloud--even high-schoolers will be enthralled--and the oxymoron in the title is a great introduction to the way Burleigh paints mesmerizing word pictures on the page. Krudop's spare but saturated oil paintings perfectly catch the two extremes of Byrd's lonely existence--the shimmery blue of the antarctic climate Byrd both relished and feared; the golden glow of the poorly heated shelter that kept both his body and his spirit alive. Sketches in ice blue ink are less dramatic than the oils but serve to add visual interest to the text pages. What is it like to be alone and near death? Burleigh brings the feelings uncomfortably close to home. Readers will be fascinated by the words and want to know more about this unusual man.Stephanie Zvirin--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.