MAPPING SAM

An adventurous cat named Sam explores her neighborhood at night in this gorgeously illustrated book. Informational, beautiful, and deeply moving, Mapping Sam is both a book about how maps work and an engaging, character-driven story.

Maps can show us streets and subways and cities and countries. But they can also show us what we can't see, what we can only imagine, or how to build something. In Joyce Hesselberth's Mapping Sam, Sam the cat puts her family to bed, and then - when all is quiet - heads out to explore her neighborhood.

As Sam follows her customary path, wandering farther and farther away from home, readers encounter different kinds of maps illuminating different points of view and the various spots Sam visits. Finally, when Sam reaches her favorite place and confirms that all is well, she heads back home, climbs onto a cozy bed, and falls asleep.

An ideal read-aloud for classrooms and libraries, Mapping Sam features a page of background information, as well as various maps and map terms throughout. Perfect for fans of Lynne Rae Perkins's Frank and Lucky Get Schooled and Peter H. Reynolds's The Dot.

Joyce Hesselberth's illustrations have appeared in national ad campaigns, theater productions, and numerous major newspapers and magazines. She also illustrates children's books, and has published two educational apps, PrestoBingo Shapes and PrestoBingo Colors which are available on the Mac App Store. Her work has been recognized by American Illustration, Society of Illustrators, and the Art Directors' Club of New York among others. She and her husband David Plunkert co-founded Spur Design in 1995. Spur Design is located in a renovated factory building in Baltimore, MD. Joyce also teaches illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art.