The Washington Post
Lasky balances the science and the human drama of Harrison's story nicely, and Kevin Hawkes's double-spread paintings are as witty as they are luminous. And how about that clever title? — Elizabeth Ward
Publishers Weekly
Lasky and Hawkes (previously teamed for The Librarian Who Measured the Earth) turn their attention to John Harrison, the 18th-century British clockmaker who solved one of history's most vexing navigational problems. Tackling her subject in short, titled segments, Lasky gets off to a bumpy start as she attempts to build a foundational understanding of the complicated role that time plays in measuring longitude (Latitude... is easier to find than longitude because one can measure the height of the sun at noon). But as soon as Lasky turns to Harrison, who spent a lifetime doggedly perfecting a sea-going clock, her prose becomes clear and compelling. Her colorful storytelling provides both a snapshot of history as well as an appreciation for Harrison's remarkable determination and persistence. Hawkes contributes characteristically dappled paintings marked by deft use of light and shadow. His sly sense of humor leavens the information-laden text. An illustration for the dubious Time on Tiptoe Method of determining longitude, for example, finds a cat and rat peering at the night sky on tiptoe alongside two sailors. Many spreads are masterfully envisioned (a beautifully lit group of white-wigged astronomers gathered in an observatory at night is a case in point), and while Hawkes's style is soft-focus, he imparts the impression of the details so important to Harrison. Endpapers feature one of the celebrated timepieces. Ages 8-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
If you were offered 12 million dollars to solve a navigational problem, could you do it? It took John Harrison, an 18th-century clockmaker, about 40 years to do so. In those years of relentless work, Harrison perfected his seafaring clock that allowed sailors to measure longitude. Luminous, full-page paintings illustrate the book. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
The creators of The Librarian Who Measured the Earth (1994) team up again to profile a brilliant, little-known scientist: John Harrison, the 18th-century inventor of the marine chronometer. Spurred by a succession of shipwrecks caused by the inability of navigators to determine longitude, the British Parliament offered a huge prize to anyone who could develop a reliable method. While describing several complex proposals, Lasky traces the career of Harrison, a carpenter with a mania for perfection, who painstakingly built a clock that proved accurate within a second on its test voyage to Lisbon. Not only did Harrison spend the next 37 years refining his design, but it took nearly as long to collect the prize as well. Hawkes reflects the liveliness of Lasky’s account with vividly colored city, country, and shipboard scenes featuring the inventor’s five accurately rendered clocks, along with coteries of wide-eyed onlookers. Younger readers will discover both the historical significance of Harrison’s invention and why he "became the hero not only of clockmakers, but of dreamers and ordinary people everywhere who learned by doing and daring." (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10)
