The Story of Mankind
by Henrik Willem van Loon
The Story of Mankind (1921) was the first book to win the Newbery Medal for its contribution to children's literature in 1922. It is a summary of western civilization especially for children (though adults will also appreciate the history refresher; a few paragraphs summarize each major event). It is dedicated to his children, Hansje and Willem. We feature it in our collection of Books for Young Readers.
"HIGH Up in the North in the land called Svithjod, there stands a rock. It is a hundred miles high and a hundred miles wide. Once every thousand years a little bird comes to this rock to sharpen its beak. When the rock has thus been worn away, then a single day of eternity will have gone by.'
Return to the Henrik Willem van Loon library.