In the 1700s, Captain James Cook was hired to seek an undiscovered continent known as Terra Australis Incognita. Cook proved that it did not exist, dramatically changing Europeans' understanding of their world. Young readers will be fascinated by Cook's encounters with the native peoples of Tahiti and Hawaii. A recipe from the period is also included.
- Cook's youth as an apprentice and early training in the British Royal Navy
- a map of Cook's routes
- the discovery of Tahiti, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand
- customs of the Kaua'i, Maori, and Tahitians
- Cook's ships--the Adventure and the Resolution
- the responsibilities of the crew and how they coped with illnesses such as scurvy
- colorful maps and images showing the areas explored
- sections on the age of exploration
- the political climates of various countries that made explorers venture out into the unknown
- real recipes for foods the explorers ate on their travels
- how explorers lived while on the high seas, on the trail, or in the encampment