The Indestructible Tom Crean

October 24, 2022
Antarctic explorer and seaman Tom Crean (1877–1938) overcomes icy challenges in this adventuresome picture book profile. Briefly referencing Crean’s upbringing in Ireland, Thermes features three polar expeditions with chapter-like introductions that include voyage years, Crean’s role, the journey goal, and a capsule map. Text jumps right into the frigid action with the subject’s decision to join the Antarctica-bound ship Discovery, which becomes trapped in ice for two years. Fast-forward six years to the Terra Nova (“Goal: to be the first to reach the South Pole”), for which Crean’s bravery in service of others wins him a medal. The drama continues at sea and on land during a final outing with Ernest Shackleton aboard the Endurance. Thermes provides a detailed narrative picture of the treks’ hardships, including the death of ship animals (“Frozen hands and frostbit feet. Salt water, sloshing. Rotting reindeer-skin sleeping bags”), through watercolor, colored pencil, and salt illustrations that gentle with their pale delicacy. Back matter includes an afterword, timeline, sources, and more. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from January 1, 2023
The little-known subject of this enthralling picture-book biography, Tom Crean (1877-1938), first went to Antarctica as a last-minute replacement, signing on as an able seaman on Captain Scott's initial voyage; then six years later as chief petty officer on Scott's second, ill-fated expedition; and finally as second officer serving under Shackleton aboard the Endurance. Crean, while facing all the usual hardships and dangers, was undoubtedly brave and seemingly "indestructible." On a solo rescue mission, he saved two men's lives: "It is thirty-five miles across the ice shelf. The cold bites Tom to his core. He has only a few biscuits and a bar of chocolate to eat. He must keep going." Most remarkable of all, he was one of the three men (including Shackleton) who crossed the mountains of South Georgia Island on foot, resulting in the fabled rescue of all twenty-eight stranded Endurance crewmembers. Thermes's honed text, in a grabbingly immediate present tense, uses short, high-impact sentences that make the most of the inherent drama. Her illustrations (in watercolor, colored pencil, and salt) are full of detail, action, and atmosphere. Page layouts are an eye-catching, pace-setting mix of double-page spreads (in order, for example, to convey the majesty of the Antarctic landscape), full pages, and panels that progress the action and accommodate informative content such as maps. The glacial palette necessarily relies on blues and whites but is never boring, with pleasing additions of various pastel colors. Appended with Antarctica facts, an afterword, a timeline, and selected sources. Martha V. Parravano

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 1, 2023

Gr 2-4-The Antarctic continent calls to many with the siren song of its dangerous beauty. Tom Crean is a little-known Antarctic explorer who, in his three trips to the region, battled countless challenges as he attempted to better understand this frigid place. Born in County Kerry, Ireland, to a large farming family, Crean took to the sea to build a more prosperous future. And as the years passed, he found himself in Antarctica time and time again under different leadership, including Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton, and each excursion tested his mettle even more significantly than the one before. This fascinating biography of an explorer in the early 1900s gives young readers a glimpse at one of the brave individuals who risked their life in the study of the Antarctic. Because Crean wrote and spoke markedly little about his experiences, this book unites the words of other explorers into a cohesive narrative focusing primarily on Crean. This long and complex story is approachable due to the brief and succinct text. Poetic writing blends with watercolor illustrations that embody the limited palette of the Antarctic landscape to provide readers with a unique presentation of Crean's adventures. The images vary in design and presentation to add dynamism to the narrative, while various supplemental materials are included to aid in readers' comprehension of the magnitude of Antarctic exploration. VERDICT This detailed story will support an elementary school curriculum pertaining to global exploration. It's also something of a thriller.-Mary R. Lanni

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2022
The tale of an indomitable sailor who survived challenge after challenge--including the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance. Irish-born sailor Tom Crean's (1877-1938) life changed forever when he agreed to join a voyage destined for Antarctica. Signing on to the Discovery, Crean was involved in early exploration of the continent and ultimately made three treks to the Antarctic--the last of which extended more than two years and involved a death-defying journey back to civilization after the loss of the famous Endurance. Each journey was fraught with dangers, from starvation and malnutrition to frostbite and hypothermia. But still, Crean returned. Though the story does not shy away from the tragedies and horrors of exploration, noting the loss of both human and animal companions on each journey, Thermes' narration is age-appropriate. Readers fascinated by the sea or by our least-populated continent will find this biography gripping, and educators and caregivers will appreciate the robust backmatter, which includes an afterword, a timeline, and a list of select sources that encourage further study. Relying on panels, as in a graphic novel, the illustrations, rendered in colored pencil and watercolor, capture the warmth of the ships and the cold expanses of the glaciers and ice. Thermes makes excellent use of the pages' white spaces to capture the beauty and the loneliness of Antarctica, further pulling readers into Crean's journey. Crean and his crewmates present White. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A story of bitter cold infused with warmth and with the fighting spirit of its courageous subject. (facts about Antarctica) (Biography. 8-10)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 1, 2023
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* Thermes recounts the life and adventures of Irish sailor and Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, with emphasis on his voyages with Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. From 1901-1904, able seaman Crean accompanied Scott on the Discovery, where he helped to build supply depots on Antarctica's Hut Point Peninsula; from 1910-1913, chief petty officer Crean sailed on the Terra Nova on Scott's ill-fated trip to the South Pole; and from 1914-1917, second officer Crean sailed the Weddell Sea with Shackleton and led the dramatic rescue efforts to save the crew after the Endurance sank. Throughout, the author emphasizes Crean's physical stamina, mental fortitude, leadership qualities, love of animals, and personal modesty concerning his heroics. The succinct narrative unfolds in present tense, which adds to the dramatic tension of these adventures. Thermes' past work as a map illustrator is employed to great effect here, with map features incorporated into many illustrations. Created with watercolor, colored pencil, and salt, the artwork features a soft, sunny palette that keeps the story upbeat, even during blizzards and perilous times. She also effectively uses nearly wordless spreads to enhance the drama at several points in the story. With varied compositions (infographic panels; single- and double-paged spreads; and smaller, graphic-novel-style insets), this is a detail-rich presentation not to be missed.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
The little-known subject of this enthralling picture-book biography, Tom Crean (1877-1938), first went to Antarctica as a last-minute replacement, signing on as an able seaman on Captain Scott's initial voyage; then six years later as chief petty officer on Scott's second, ill-fated expedition; and finally as second officer serving under Shackleton aboard the Endurance. Crean, while facing all the usual hardships and dangers, was undoubtedly brave and seemingly "indestructible." On a solo rescue mission, he saved two men's lives: "It is thirty-five miles across the ice shelf. The cold bites Tom to his core. He has only a few biscuits and a bar of chocolate to eat. He must keep going." Most remarkable of all, he was one of the three men (including Shackleton) who crossed the mountains of South Georgia Island on foot, resulting in the fabled rescue of all twenty-eight stranded Endurance crewmembers. Thermes's honed text, in a grabbingly immediate present tense, uses short, high-impact sentences that make the most of the inherent drama. Her illustrations (in watercolor, colored pencil, and salt) are full of detail, action, and atmosphere. Page layouts are an eye-catching, pace-setting mix of double-page spreads (in order, for example, to convey the majesty of the Antarctic landscape), full pages, and panels that progress the action and accommodate informative content such as maps. The glacial palette necessarily relies on blues and whites but is never boring, with pleasing additions of various pastel colors. Appended with Antarctica facts, an afterword, a timeline, and selected sources.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)