It's high time someone turned Ibn Battuta's travels into the stuff of a children's book, for if ever a journey could captivate young readers, Ibn Battuta's is it. James Rumford's full-color paintings beautifully illustrate this impressionistic chronicle of a trip throughout the medieval Muslim world (including much of Africa, the Middle East, India, China and Malaysia), and Rumford also thoughtfully includes a map. Geared for ages 9-12.  (MDE65, $16.00)