PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS: Old Wood Boat & Lily Leads the Way
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this love letter to sailing, heralded artist Nikki McClure tells the story of a restored boat in timeless and reverent prose that perfectly accompanies her stunning cut-paper illustrations. At once delicate and bold, each page is masterful, rendered from a single sheet of black paper with precision and care that is sure to enthrall readers from coast to coast.
Raise the sails and follow the wind across the green sea in this captivating marriage of lyrical prose and intricate illustrations from a renowned West Coast artist.
REVIEW
With her hand-cut paper illustrations, McClure's beautiful ode to an old boat and sailing. A family buys an old boat who waits patiently, waiting for a chance to return to the sea. After refurbishing the boat, the family sets sail across the sea. The family enjoys sailing, hiking, and apple picking before continuing on their journey. The poetic text highlights the love of the family for this boat and the adventure she represents. The care they put into restoring her as well as the celebration as they return her to the ocean waves made me smile. The intricate illustrations honor the beauty of sailboats and sailing. There's even a map showing the different levels and compartments of the ship. The landscapes, animals, and ocean are all shown in the lovely illustrations as the family and the boat sail out to sea. This book beautifully showcases McClure's talents as well as the fascination and love people have for sailing and the sea.
ABOUT THE BOOK
REVIEW
Lily, a small sailboat resides in a harbor of a lake with a bridge. In order for her to leave the harbor the bridge has to be raised. But she struggles to get out of the harbor as bigger and louder ships push her out of the way. But a group of older, taller grand ships on the way, Lily refuses to give up. After a couple of near disasters, Lily finally makes it out onto the lake where she joyfully greets the visitors. But she soon realizes that the tall sailing ships won't be able to communicate with the bridge because they don't have any horns to blow. So Lily rushes toward the bridge desperately trying to get the bridge raised before the tall sailing ships arrive. I found it really interesting to read the author's note at the end of the book talking about the different kinds of bridges and the authors own experiences with a situation just like Lily's. Matt Myers illustrations are beautiful. I loved the bright colors and movement that made the story feel action-packed and appealing. Giving Lily eyes and a mouth makes her feel all the more alive. I also enjoyed the changing flags that Lily shows depending on what she's doing. This highlights the use of flags as signals and messages while sailing. Not only is this an eye-opening tale about a real place, but a fun story about persistence and the value of all not matter their size.
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