The Fat Cats At Sea
By J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Victoria Chess
An Apple Soup Book, imprint of Alfred Knopf, NY 1994
ISBN 0-679-82639-4 Grades 1-3
Ahoy, adventure-seekers and lovers of verse! Join the captain of The Frisky Dog
and his fat feline crew as they travel the seven seas for the Queen of Catmandoo.
Their mission is to bring back a boatload of rare and tasty Buns, a delicacy
that can be found only on the Island of Sticky-Goo. The rotund tabbies do battle
with a clipper ship of yipping poodles. They suffer homesickness; get stuck on
the equator and land on Nowhere Isles. Finally, the Island of Goo is sighted,
with its cinnamon sand, almond bushes, donut trees and icing running down to
caramel seas. Fourteen tons of sticky-buns are loaded on board. Appropriately
ludicrous
full-color illustrations of the felines and their
misdeeds accompany this nonsensical tale of
misadventure.
Boats Afloat
By Shelly Rotner, author and photographer
Orchard Books, New York, 1998
ISBN 0-531-30112-5 Preschool – Grade 2
This book is filled with fabulous full-color photographs of vessels of various
shapes, sizes, and styles. Bold borders in different shades surround the
photographs and set them off admirably. Large print text with short sentences
will encourage the new reader to try to read on their own. Many types of
watercraft are introduced while also telling what kind of work the boat does and
what tasks they have been designed to accomplish. A picture of children without
safety vests is a concern worth discussing with children. Coast Guard and patrol
boats, as well as fireboats add to a safety discussion. Pond boats, paddle
boats, and boats for the bathtub show the range of the types of boats.
Gone A-Whaling: The Lure
of the Sea and the Hunt for the Great Whale
By Jim Murphy
Clarion Books, New York 1998
ISBN 0-395-69847-2 Grades 5-8
Told from the perspective of the adventurous boys who eagerly signed aboard
whaling ships, Gone A-Whaling traces the path of the American whaling industry
from the first hunts when whales were plentiful to the ravaging and near
devastation of whales in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Compelling journal entries and letters home bring to life these boys’ days at
sea, the work on the tall-masted sailing ships and the business of chasing and
killing the largest creatures on earth. Rare photographs, line drawings, and
engravings complement the dramatically written text. Glossary of terms and index
included. Longfellows poem, My Lost Youth appropriately included “A boy’s will
is the winds will, And the thoughts of the youth are long, long thoughts.”
Sea Swan
By Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Catherine Stock
Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1988
ISBN 0-02-751700-4 Grades 1-4
Elzibah Swan has lived a pleasant but quiet life in her ancestors’ Boston home.
On her 75th birthday Elzibah decides to learn something new, and she begins
swimming lessons. When she becomes proficient in the pool, she begins traveling
to the seashore. She has a small house built near the cove so that she can stay
by the sea. She also invests in a wet suit, planning in the future to buy a mask
and snorkel. Her courage and determination are inspiring, especially for the
many readers also faced with learning new and difficult skills. Her special
relationship with her grandchildren through letters will strike a responsive
chord in many. Illustrated with warm wonderful watercolors. The text is long.
This Boat
By Paul Collicutt (Parent’s Choice Gold Medal Winner)
Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2001
ISBN 0-374-37495-3
Preschool – Grade 1
Portraying all sorts of boats, even one in a bottle, Collicutt creates
realistic, brightly colored paintings which invite interest in revisiting and
exploring a variety of boats. There is one fact and one view per page, perfectly
synchronized with the simple text of formulaic repetition making it useful for
beginning readers. Plenty of sea is covered which will gratify young sailors and
transportation buffs. The main text includes working and recreational books. The
end pages show boats of historic significance: Captain Cook’s Endeavor and the
S.S. Titanic.
Ship Ahoy!
By Peter Sis
Greenwillow Books, New York 1999
ISBN 0-688-16644-x A wordless book
A child on a sofa imagines it (the sofa) turning into a succession of ships,
culminating in an encounter with a sea monster and ending with the secure
comfort of sharing a book with an adult. Peter Sis is the author of similar
books Truck, truck, truck, and Fire Truck, but he is also the author of some
amazing picture books that challenge adults. Starry Messenger and Tibet Through
the Red Box. It is never too early to introduce imagination and this brilliant
author-illustrator. Boats include: raft, canoe, sailboat, junk, pirate brig,
submarine, ocean liner – all of which float on blue water (the rug). A delight!
Sailing off to Sleep
By Linda Ashman, illustrated by Susan Winter
Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 2001
ISBN 0-689-82971-x Ages 2-6
Cuddle up with this warm and loving tale of a feisty little girl who sails off
on an adventure to the Artic where she encounters many animals (whale, seal,
bear, etc.) The rhyming patterns are unforced and appropriate to the story. The
comfortable security of these very same stuffed animals in her bed promises a
peaceful sleep, whereby “Maybe tomorrow…” another adventure in her boat awaits.
The animals are realistically rendered on a landscape of cool blue and green.
Action and movement portray the adventure as exciting and safe, important to the
young children willing to imagine.
When Jessie Came
Across the Sea
By Amy Hest, illustrated
by P.J. Lynch
Candlewick Press, Cambridge, UA 1997
ISBN 0-7636-0094-6 Grades 3-6
This narrative of 13 year old Jessie’s journey from a poor village in Eastern
Europe to New York City at the turn of the century affords the readers a
panoramic view of events and people. The storms at sea and the safe arrival when
passengers stand at the ships rail for their first glimpse of America are shown
in exquisite illustrations. Family devotion and young love are portrayed
realistically and sincerely. Authentic dialogue, accurate information, woven
into a pleasing and satisfying story. The immigration theme is very important
and this books’ authenticity has been checked (both text and artwork) by the
Jewish Museum of New York City. A beautiful tribute to the courage and hope of
all who seek a better life.
Wynken, Blynken,
and Nod
A Poem by Eugene Field, illustrated by Johanna Westerman
North-South Books, New York 1995
ISBN 1-55-58-998-8 Young Children
A classic bedtime poem by the prolific American poet Eugene Field (1850-1895)
which will bring fond memories to adults as well as introduce children to our
literary heritage and tradition. The childhood favorites invite children to
participate in the world of books which is so important to the future reading of
literature. Minutely detailed watercolors depict the Dutch landscape where three
children dressed in nightclothes set sail in a wooden shoe accompanied by a cat.
The luminosity of the moonlit sea is captured in muted shades of blue. The
typeset (Marigold) gracefully enhances the mood of the story and the
illustrations.