Books with author Deborah Ray

Combining history with culture, the ocean with exploration, and risk with triumph—this rich offering is the only picture book account of Thor Heyerdahl's world-famous Kon-Tiki expedition, during which he sailed a raft 5,000 miles from the coast of South America to the islands of the South Pacific.Author Deborah Kogan Ray clearly and succinctly sets up how Norwegian anthropologist Heyerdahl became convinced that ancient Peruvians arrived in the South Pacific via raft, why he wanted to re-create the voyage, and how he planned for it. She uses primary-source quotations on each spread to shore up the factual history of the events portrayed in the book. Her illustrations add emotion to this harrowing journey.

A tribute to an artist unafraid to break with tradition. In her own glowing paintings and lucid text, Deborah Kogan Ray tells the fascinating life story of the Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849). He rose from poverty, taught himself to draw, became the promising pupil of a great master, and then defied tradition to become one of the most important and influential artists in the world.Ray's paintings are rich with period and biographical detail. The endpapers show drawings from Hokusai's sketchbooks. Also included is one of his famous Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

What if the magic that could save your loved ones condemns you to death?Rakish royal spy, Rustam Chalice, loves his life the way it is, so when the kingdom he serves is threatened from within, he leaps into action. To his dismay the spymaster prince teams him up with an untouchable aristocratic assassin. And to make matters worse, she’s the most beautiful woman in the Five Kingdoms.Plunged into a desperate journey over the mountains, the mismatched pair struggle to survive deadly wildlife, the machinations of a spiteful god—and each other. When Rustam discovers he has magic of his own, he is forced to question his identity, his sanity, and his loyalty to his prince. For in Tyr-en, all magic users are put to death.The Prince’s Man is the first book in The Five Kingdoms epic fantasy series. If you like action, intrigue, and magic, spiced with a touch of romance, then you’ll love Deborah Jay’s vividly realised characters. Scroll up to buy The Prince’s Man now and lose yourself in this captivating fantasy adventure.What readers are saying “Book 1 in the five kingdoms series is a sensational creation that blends together sweeping epic fantasy with a thoroughly modern edge to it. The mix of spellbinding romance with a dark mystery, made me feel like I was reading a Robin Hobb novel - -and yet something quite different." Lucinda“Randomly browsing thru newer ebooks and came across this gem. Was delightfully surprised after reading the description "Think James Bond meets Lord of the Rings" which intrigued me to no end, to find that this was exactly how I perceived the book” R Lewis “Reminiscent of Game of Thrones, this delightful fantasy will hold your attention from beginning to end.” Rhoda D'Etorre “Jay paints a vivid world, that we are treated to in this dangerous adventure that tests our heroes to every limit. Including having them question everything they had ever taken for granted.” Miss K Marsden"Please note, that it is advisable to start this book when you have a block of time to dedicate to it. Starting an hour before needing to leave the house will make you late, I should know” Firefly“For lovers of series like the Wheel of Time, with its associated political intricacies, this is a series to watch carefully. It promises to deliver the kind of machinations and power struggles we love to see our heroes and heroines coming to grips with. It also draws interesting social parallels with our own issues around the fear of 'other', be it race, religion, or in this case the wielders of magic.” C Spencer“Firstly let me say, if you have enjoyed books by Tolkien, Christopher Paolini, or Robin Hobb - you will absolutely enjoy this book.” Rachel Braithwaite“Adventure, heartache, murder, horses, mayhem, elves; the list gallops on, bursting with action in this well written novel set in a completely believable world. Attention grabbing story and underlying layers of detail make it a 'can't put downer'.” Andelusional“It starts off hitting the ground running with action, but carries the reader along easily. The narrative was well written and engaging, quickly immersing the reader in a new world. Very accomplished writing, characterisation and story telling.” Mickey H“I enjoyed this greatly. It is indicative of a good read if you immediately search for the next book in the series.” ShinemanAmazon categoriesSword and SorceryEpic Fantasy

Little botanist / first naturalistOf John Bartram's nine children, it is William who best loves nature and wants to follow in his father's footsteps. William dreams of accompanying his father as he explores the wilderness of colonial America as botanist to the King of England in search of plant specimens. Using journals, maps, and her own vibrant paintings, Deborah Kogan Ray tells the captivating story of Billy's first trip to the Catskill Mountains and his further adventures as an adult, including a long, perilous journey into the remote wilderness. A bibliography, biographical notes, and list of plant discoveries complete this remarkable book about America's first naturalist.A Junior Library Guild Selection

Born into the Northern Paiute tribe of Nevada in 1844, Sarah Winnemucca straddled two cultures: the traditional life of her people, and the modern ways of her grandfather's white friends. Sarah was smart and good at languages, so she was able to link the worlds. As she became older, this made her a great leader. Sarah used condemning letters, fiery speeches, and her autobiography, Life Among the Piutes, to provide detailed accounts of her people's turmoil through years of starvation, unjust relocations, and violent attacks. With sweeping illustrations and extensive backmatter, including hand-drawn maps, a chronology, archival photographs, an author's notes, and additional resource information, Deborah Kogan Ray offers a remarkable look at an underrepresented historical figure.

Combining history with culture, the ocean with exploration, and risk with triumph—this rich offering is the only picture book account of Thor Heyerdahl's world-famous Kon-Tiki expedition, during which he sailed a raft 5,000 miles from the coast of South America to the islands of the South Pacific.Author Deborah Kogan Ray clearly and succinctly sets up how Norwegian anthropologist Heyerdahl became convinced that ancient Peruvians arrived in the South Pacific via raft, why he wanted to re-create the voyage, and how he planned for it. She uses primary-source quotations on each spread to shore up the factual history of the events portrayed in the book. Her illustrations add emotion to this harrowing journey.

**2017 ATAI Book Awards Finalist**The Water Novels – Book 1For seventeen-year-old Nell, life is about to take a chilling turn. Raised by a workaholic uncle and used to being over looked in a crowd, Nell has found life to be rather dull and uneventful…Until the day of a school field trip out to White Shell Lagoon. Going against her nature, Nell bends a rule – and makes a shocking discovery. Now she has a secret that no one will believe, one that whispers danger even as it seems to call to her very soul. What really lurks beneath the glassy waves…and how much will finding out cost her? All she knows is that she’s caught the attention of a strange boy with special abilities and violet eyes, a boy she is certain cannot be human. Trapped by rules and tradition in a deteriorating kingdom, Sebastian feels he has no other choice except to act. Taking matters, and fate, into his own hands, the daring young man enters the realm of humans to retrieve what was once taken. The land beyond the waves is no friend to his kind, yet to save his home, he will do what few before him have ever dared. He is prepared for almost anything…except meeting a girl who somehow poses a threat to his identity, his hidden world and to everything he has ever known. As the two fight for their own agendas it becomes clear that they may just have more in common than either realizes...A young adult fantasy romanceWhat Readers are Saying“Had me gripped from the start…Deborah's characters are well-rounded and believable.” “Nell and Sebastian…I like that they each bring out one another's fiery side.” “Looking forward to part two.” “An enjoyable teen adventure that kept me up a little too late…competently written with a well-paced plot and an intriguing background mythos.” - Goodreads Community Reviews

Born into the Northern Paiute tribe of Nevada in 1844, Sarah Winnemucca straddled two cultures: the traditional life of her people, and the modern ways of her grandfather's white friends. Sarah was smart and good at languages, so she was able to link the worlds. As she became older, this made her a great leader. Sarah used condemning letters, fiery speeches, and her autobiography, Life Among the Piutes, to provide detailed accounts of her people's turmoil through years of starvation, unjust relocations, and violent attacks. With sweeping illustrations and extensive backmatter, including hand-drawn maps, a chronology, archival photographs, an author's notes, and additional resource information, Deborah Kogan Ray offers a remarkable look at an underrepresented historical figure.

Pablo Neruda grew up in the rough and wild frontier town of Temuco, Chile. His father was a railroad man and not inclined to draw out the introspective boy. However, his stepmother, descended from the Mapuche people, was gentle and nurturing and told him stories of Chile's native people. But in her husband's presence, she was as silent as Pablo. So the child found refuge in nature and in books. And secretly he wrote down his thoughts. With the encouragement of Gabriela Mistral, an award-winning poet, teacher, and friend, Neruda's writing grew resonant and powerful. At age sixteen he left Temuco for the university in Santiago and went on to become the "people's poet" and to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Blending her telling of Neruda's childhood with excerpts from his own poetry and prose, Ms. Ray captures the people and places that inspired him in her rich watercolor illustrations.

Although John Wesley Powell's minister father always wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, young Wes had different plans for his future. Enraptured by the wonders of the natural world, he was determined to take the path of science. Even after losing his right arm below the elbow in battle during the Civil War, Wes would not be deterred from his dream of leading the first scientific expedition down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon. Braving treacherous rapids and perilous waterfalls, Major Powell would surpass all expectations and return home a national hero.With breathtaking illustrations and excerpts from Powell's own journals, Deborah Kogan Ray brings to vivid life the exploits and explorations of one of America's greatest conservationists.Down the Colorado is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Earl Douglass was a teenager when he first heard about the Bone Wars―the frenzied race between paleontologists to unearth and classify dinosaur fossils―and he remained fascinated with these prehistoric giants for the rest of his life. As a geologist and botanist working at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Douglass had a hunch that the vast untouched rock strata in northeastern Utah just may have been a haven for Jurassic fossil beds. In 1908, he set out by mule team to the Uinta Basin to dig and discover. Find me "something big," Andrew Carnegie instructed.Little did Carnegie know exactly how well Douglass would heed those words. Sixteen years and 350 tons of fossils later, Earl Douglass emerged as one of the most prolific and successful dinosaur hunters of his time.Using entries directly from Douglass's diary along with her own evocative storytelling and artwork, acclaimed author and illustrator Deborah Kogan Ray paints the life of this adventurous bone hunter in memorable detail.Dinosaur Mountain is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year and a 2011 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book.

Wanda Gág (pronounced "Gog") is well known as the author and illustrator of Millions of Cats, one of the best-loved children's books ever published. But not many people know how interesting and inspiring her life was.Following in the footsteps of her beloved artist father, Wanda led an idyllic childhood, drawing and listening to old-world fairy tales. But when her father died, it was teenage Wanda who worked hard to keep her seven younger siblings fed, clothed, and laughing. She never lost sight of her love of art, however, and her tremendous willpower won her a coveted scholarship to the Art Students League in New York City and then led to a gallery show of her artwork--where an editor of children's books got an idea for a book. The rest, as they say, is history!