A lesson in the value of far-reaching vision. Marco Polo is an astonishing explorer with a vision that takes him to India, China and many other exotic lands far from his home of Italy. After twenty-five years of exploration Marco Polo enchants audiences with his tales of magnificent palaces filled with precious stones, of rivers of gold, and of “men with tails” who hucked nuts as big as a man’s head. Soon Marco Polo must leave his dying father and fight in the war against the Genoese army. Marco’s ship is captured, and he is taken to prison by the Duke of Genoa. The Duchess of Genoa has heard of Marco’s tales and comes to listen to his stories. As Marco Polo tells of his encounter with bandits, traveling in the desert and finally coming to the palace of the Kublai Kahn, a cell mate, Rusticello, writes everything down feverishly. The Duchess and her friends enjoy hearing Marco’s tales, but they still believe they are just stories. Rusticello eventually publishes "The Travels of Marco Polo," which soon becomes the most famous and influential book of that period. Includes 48-page activity book.