In 1957, ten-year-old David Macaulay crossed from England to the United States with his family on the ocean liner SS United States, which had earned the Blue Riband for fastest transatlantic crossing on its first transatlantic journey in 1952. Here, Macaulay describes the early development of ocean liners powered by steam, and various ships that held the Blue Riband prior to the SS United States, before introducing ship designer William Francis Gibbs, who was determined to build a ship that could take the prize. Gibbs’s efforts were sidetracked by World War II, but after the war he designed and oversaw the building of the United States. The process is chronicled with keen detail culminating in a six-panel foldout showing a cutaway of the completed ship. Macaulay’s experience traveling on the ocean liner with his mother and two younger siblings adds another, vivid layer of human dimension to the story, and he captures a child’s eye view of the ship and its wonders. In addition to detailed drawings, there are black-and-white photos, including of the author’s family on their journey, incorporated into the end matter. (Ages 9–14)

David Macaulay, co-creator of the international bestseller The Way Things Work, brings his signature curiosity and detailing to the story of the steamship in this meticulously researched and stunningly illustrated book.

Prior to the 1800s, ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean relied on the wind in their sails to make their journeys. But invention of steam power ushered in a new era of transportation that would change ocean travel forever: the steamship.

Award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay guides readers through the fascinating history that culminated in the building of the most advanced—and last—of these steamships: the SS United States. This book artfully explores the design and construction of the ship and the life of its designer and engineer, William Francis Gibbs.

Framed around the author's own experience steaming across the Atlantic on the very same SS United States, Crossing on Time is a tour de force of the art of explanation and a touching and surprising childhood story.

A 2020 NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
2020 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year List