The Internet, and digital technology in general, has made huge changes to the way we get from point A to point B. There are countless sites online, well-known to kids of all ages, that provide directions for getting wherever you want to go. GPS and other digital technologies are easily available to steer the adults in their lives in the right direction.

But even with all this technology, youngsters still need to learn how to read graphical representations of places, landmarks, bodies of water, and the like.

That’s where Follow That Map! comes in. Veteran illustrator Scot Ritchie has created an easy-to-follow primer that shows young readers how the basic elements of maps (keys, legends, symbols, directions, etc.) work, while explaining other important aspects of mapping, such as how to use maps to determine direction, the different kinds of maps, and even how to create a map
from scratch.

Since Ritchie’s emphasis is on helping kids to build mapping skills, he takes an active approach, using five spunky characters and a missing-pets adventure to walk his readers through a series of questions designed to test these skills. The bright, easy-to-follow illustrations do an excellent job of highlighting all the major concepts, and definitions of all the important terms are presented in bold type on each spread for extra clarity.