Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands is an exciting, creative non-fiction picture book that tells the true story of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman’s quest to find a route across the Pacific to Chile. Instead, he mapped Tasmania, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, exploring lands never seen before by Europeans. The charts drawn from the journey established more pieces of the southern hemisphere puzzle. Readers will learn more about Abel Tasman’s early life before the Southland adventure, rising through the ranks on board a ship to become Commander of a fleet of ships sent to find treasures in Terra Australis. Through the images, readers will discover how it must have felt for Aboriginals, Maori and Tongans to see these ghost-like explorers.