This chapter book biography of Matthew Henson with occasional black and white illustrations is written in direct and dramatic style with reluctant readers in mind. Set against a background of the racism and prejudice of his times, it tells the life story of the Arctic explorer who, with Robert Peary, was the first man to reach the North Pole. It gives a lively account of the many adventures that shaped his transformation from barefoot cabin boy to famous explorer, the dangers he faced, and the crucial survival skills he learned from the Inuit peoples.