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K-3
When Jonathan's parents trade his teddy bear for a toaster, he takes the Big Blue Boat in search of Frederick, enlisting unlikely (goat, elephant, whale) helpers along the way. Although the premise and writing are too twee, the text's simplicity and rhythm have appeal. Stead's glorious painted-collage illustrations involve all manner of seaworthy papers: stamps, timetables, maps, and nautical charts.