PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION : To the Top of the World by Deborah Blumenthal & Anastasia Magloire Williams

TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD

Barbara Hillary, the First Black Woman to Reach the North and South Poles

written by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Anastasia Magloire Williams

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025

ISBN: 978-1-6659-2773-4

Ages 6-10

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Go exploring with Barbara Hillary, the first Black woman to set foot on both the North and South Poles in this thrilling and inspiring picture book biography about perseverance, imagination, and following your dreams.

As a young girl, Barbara Hillary imagined a life of adventure. Despite facing hardships in her childhood and illness as an adult, she never gave up on her to travel the world and explore hard-to-reach places. So, at age seventy-five, she became the first Black woman to set foot on the North Pole. Less than four years later, she did the same at the South Pole.

Barbara loved everything the world has to offer. During her travels, she discovered that the remote places she cared so much about were threatened by climate change. From then on, she dedicated herself to saving the planet for future generations. She never let her age—or anything else—stop her until she stood at the top of the world!

REVIEW

How many people find the nerve to follow their dreams at the age of 75?! Not many I would imagine. Barbara Hillary decided to pursue he dreams of adventure after finishing her 55-years as a nurse. Despite other people's doubts, despite her age, despite a lack of funds, she decided she wanted to visit the North Pole. So she trained, she fund-raised, she wrote letters, until she made her dream come true. Even with an injured shoulder (which she did not tell anyone about), she made her way to the North Pole. And that was just a new beginning, at 79 she reached the South Pole. After that she became an environmental activist, even visiting Mongolia at 87. The story's message shine through in the refrain, the author uses throughout the book, emphasizing that Barbara "lived in a world of you can, not you can't. The book provides a powerful reminder that dreams aren't just for the young, and it's never too late to make a difference in the world. An author's note at the end provides a bit more information for young readers/listeners who want to know more about this remarkable woman who sought adventure on her own terms. A truly inspiring tale of perseverance and determination. Highly recommended.

The New Yorker