An eye-opening journey that will broaden children's knowledge about the world. The British Library has one of the largest collections of maps, plans and topographical views in the world, numbering some 4.5 million and with a chronological spread of over 2,000 years. This book compiles eighty maps to take readers on a fabulous journey around the globe. With a nod to Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, the trip starts and ends in London, crossing the oceans and stopping at some of the world's most fascinating places. Maps are marvelous documents. Not only colorful and revealing, they are a record of a place at a particular time. Here, the maps exploit children's preferences for visuals while educating and entertaining. There are details to pore over as well as stories about how and why these maps were made and by whom. Concise and informative text explores each place in more depth, revealing its history, famous people, landmarks, wildlife, culture and customs. Helpful fact files provide at-a-glance information to broaden geographical knowledge. Maps include: World, 1623 Europe, 1851 Corsica, 1489 Venice, 1720 Zurich (aerial), 1576 Moscow, 1575 Egypt, 1600's Istanbul, 1422 California, 1777 St. Louis (aerial), 1764 Virginia, 1590 Arctic, 1595. Children will enjoy browsing the maps, learning along the way and sparking interest in the world and dreams of adventures. An ideal gift book.