In 1810, a British naval officer and surveyor named Francis Beaufort developed a scale to give sailors a common language for describing the wind. From 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane), stunning artwork and jaunty prose show what life at sea must have been like for a young boy serving as a midshipman in the 1800s. As William sails from Naples to the Caribbean, we learn intriguing historical information and nautical terminology, and witness how the wind affected day-to-day life on a ship. Detailed illustrations show the wind at work, and readers will be engrossed and fascinated as they watch the storm develop in magnificent full-color paintings.

• ISBN: 9780399243998
• Author: Malone, Peter
• Published: 2007, Putnam Juvenile
• Themes: 19th Century, Boats and ships, Sailing, weather
• Descriptors: England (UK), Information Book, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9)
• No. of pages: 32