This tale from Newbery Medal–winning author Walter D. Edmonds is based on a story found in Lydia Maria Child’s Letters from New York.
An adventuresome youth determined to travel the world, Tom Whipple leaves his mother in New York and signs up for sea duty on a ship bound for Russia. As he sails, he makes up his mind to see the czar—and to present him with a gift.
Walter D. Edmonds (1903–1998) was born in New York state. His 1936 novel Drums along the Mohawk was a bestseller for two years. His later works received major literary awards, including the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal.
Mark Turetsky is an award-winning audiobook narrator and voice-over artist living in Brooklyn. In addition to audiobooks, he has voiced numerous commercials, video games, and online presentations. Turetsky is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and holds a minor in English and American Literature. He was an AudioFile Best Voice for 2010 and 2013.