by Kate Messner and José Barreiro
Illustrated by Falynn Koch
5 stars
Another fantastic entry in the History Smashers series. Told with humor and wit, this book helps to lay out the exploration of Christopher Columbus, describe aspects of Taino culture, and shows why Columbus became such a popular figure in the first place. Along the way, Messner and Barreiro smash myths and misinformation, providing an entertaining and informational read.
The book takes the readers through the start of Columbus’ journey all the way to the present day. I found the section on Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day especially interesting.
The text is broken up with humorous illustrations, black-and-white photographs, and further information presented in entertaining comics.
Great themes throughout of verifying sources, questioning primary sources, and examining the historical context.
The backmatter contains a timeline of events, notes from both of the authors, a bibliography, and an index. There are also samples from History Smashers: The Underground Railroad and History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics.
An interesting, informative, and entertaining read.