Introduces Matthew Henson, the African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on the first successful expedition to the North Pole in 1909.

"It might seem lonely at the top of the world, but the North Pole is teeming with life! Polar bears, walruses, and Arctic seals make their home on sea ice that can be nine feet thick, while the Inuit and other Indigenous peoples continue their traditions and means for survival in this harsh climate. Along with the early twentieth-century story of Robert Peary's egomaniacal quest to reach the exact spot of the North Pole, this is an exciting new addition...

“We made it!” I cried. “We're here. The North Pole! We're on top of the world! The first men ever to stand here in all of history.” When eleven-year-old Matthew Henson ran away from his cruel stepmother to find a new life in the big city, no one could have predicted that he would become the first man to reach the North Pole. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, Matthew found a life of adventure on the high seas and in the Arctic....