FICTION

Blue Boat

by Kersten HAMILTON
illus. by Valeria Petrone. 32p. Viking. May 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780451471413.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—When a family's sailboat breaks down on a stormy day, a tug named Blue Boat is called to the rescue. "Missing rudder,/broken fin—/wild nor'easter/blowing in!" The smiling vessel serenely chugs across the choppy water toward a sailboat carrying adults, children, and a dog, all wide-eyed with terror. The boat's red and blue stand out brilliantly against the flat grays of the water and sky, but there is little of visual interest to those who aren't die-hard tugboat fans. The minimal, rhyming text struggles to recall Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could but is marred by a limping meter and peculiar word choices. Readers are likely to be confused by lines like "Raise the bridge,/tender crew—/rescue boats/coming through!"
VERDICT Pass on this one unless you have throngs of young tugboat fanatics clamoring for new books.
Reviewed by Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA
Blue Boat, "a rough, tough tugboat," is the only vessel tough enough to brave the rough seas to save a family stranded on a sailboat during a nor'easter. An energetic text consists of simple rhymes, sound effects, and occasional nautical terms. Retro digital illustrations in blues and grays capture the stormy scene. Refreshingly, our hero's captain is a woman.
 , May 01, 2016

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Maddie and Mabel Ready for Snow
by Allen, Kari
BOOKS

Welcome to the Woofmore
by Gephart, Donna & Lori Haskins Houran
BOOKS

Eleven Houses
by Oakes, Colleen
BOOKS

Don’t Let the Forest In
by Drews, CG
BOOKS

Summer Nights and Meteorites
by Reynolds, Hannah
BOOKS

A Vile Season
by Ferraro, David
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?