Ferryboat Ride! - Hardcover

Anne Rockwell is the author of I Fly! and other popular books on different forms of transportation.

Maggie Smith is the author and illustrator of several picture books, including This Is Your Garden and Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon.

PreSchool-Grade 2A little girl describes her familys annual ferryboat ride to their summer island from the hustle and bustle of loading cars, passengers, and freight at the mainland dock to the holiday atmosphere when they arrive at their destination. During the voyage, she watches the sailboats in the harbor, experiences the chilly fog and sound of foghorns out on the ocean, sees a passing lobster boat, feeds the seagulls, and hopes for a glimpse of a whale. Finally, she catches her first look at the island as it comes closer and closer. The bright watercolor illustrations do an excellent job of extending the text with many interesting details, including the pets, picnic baskets, and toys carried onto the Julianna B. and the ways in which the travelers amuse themselves during the trip. The attractive layout alternates between two-page spreads and illustrations placed in round medallions surrounded by white space, as if the scenes were being glimpsed through a porthole, telescope, or the center of the life preserver that frames the ferryboat on the books cover. Some of the paintings, like the opening view of the wide expanse of ocean between mainland and island, give readers a long-distance view, while others zoom in on the passengers. A seaworthy purchase for all picture-book collections.Ginny Gustin, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
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