All About Antarctica
A Fact Book About the Southernmost Continent
By Marc Martin
Reviewed by Claire Monsour
If you don’t like picture books with busy pages and lots of small text: this book may not be for you. But if, like me, you have a highly curious, fact-absorbing 8-year-old who loves to learn about the far reaches of the earth: this book is definitely for you!
Marc Martin is an author, picture-book illustrator, and artist from Melbourne. His other internationally award winning books cover themes of the environment, exploring, the curious, and preservation. In ‘All About Antarctica’, Martin actually does cover everything about this fascinating part of the world; from what to pack for a voyage, types of ice bergs, transportation vehicles, facts about early expeditions, marine life, and the natural wonders found in the southernmost continent. The font is small, and there is a lot of it on every page, but it is impressive how much information is packed into small bite-size paragraphs, equally balanced with impressive illustrations.
Martin uses a mixture of watercolour, gouache, pencil, and digital collage to create really magnificent artistry in this book. The illustrations are a surprising contrast to the usual photographs and highly detailed drawings that are common in other non-fiction picture books for this age group, designed to inform and demonstrate. Martin’s illustrations, on the other hand, draw the reader into this icy world, ready for their adventure. The soft nature of the watercolour illustrations invite the reader to be the central character, along with the text written in second-person; a non-fiction book that reads more like a “how to” guide, preparing us for our own expedition.
Martin also throws in humorous comments and pictures that connects the reader to a friendly and mysterious “guide” who seemed to write this book just for us, providing facts and tips, explaining environmental preservation rules, and offering insider knowledge on life in Antarctica. We particularly enjoyed counting all the socks to pack, learning about the volcanos and dry valleys, and laughing at the man drinking from the wrong “water” bottle!
This book is a must-have for school libraries to support young students with projects on Antarctica, exploring, and the environment. It also makes a wonderful adition to home libraries for those curious little future scientists!
Penguin 2025
Ages 8+
