(1) K-3 Picture books about imaginary play can be belabored or overly precious. Not so Blackall's brilliantly constructed latest. The opening setting is a living room (just a suggestion of one -- we mostly see an ocean-colored rug). Here we meet a child gathering items needed for a pretend sea voyage while an adult vacuums. As the child exhorts the adult to join in, we begin to see intimations of the coming seascape: the cat, poking its head under the rug, creates swelling waves; patterned pillows evoke shark fins; etc. Then, with a page-turn, we are plunged into the book's make-believe world -- child and adult aboard a fully rigged multi-masted schooner on the high seas, about to encounter a storm (and sharks!). The mixed-media and digital illustrations are alternately gorgeous and rich in character and humor. For example, on one spread the adult's cell phone rings ("blah blah blah..."), temporarily returning us to real life ("we are in the doldrums," bemoans the discouraged child). Blackall excels at setting the stage for the imaginary play with one-to-one equivalents (the vacuum, with its long cord, easily transforms into a giant squid; a paper-towel roll becomes a spyglass) and then making us forget all that, immersing us in the book's imaginary world, wholly capturing the experience of imaginary play. "ANCHORS...AWEIGH!" Glossary of sailing terms included.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Bryan Collier. During the Civil War, an enslaved man plans a daring escape. Robert Smalls steers a Confederate ship through Charleston Harbor with his wife, their children, and twelve other enslaved people on board. Their mission, to reach a Union blockade just beyond the harbor, was a “life-or-death voyage.” Moore builds the drama and suspense in the story of his great-grandfather’s escape (contextualized in an author’s note) with careful pacing, and the dangerous journey comes to life through beautiful, collage-style illustrations that capture the escapees’ emotions.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton

(2) K-3 In a rousing adventure dedicated to the author's grandfather, who "sailed the seven seas," readers meet Gabriel, an elderly elephant who lives with his sea cat, Milou. Gabriel, whose face has "as many lines as the sea has waves," lives by the harbor, remembering the old days. Vere then rewinds the clock to visit Gabriel's boyhood, during which he revered the crew of creatures who worked on the lifeboat. (No humans here. All characters are anthropomorphized animals.) They tell Gabriel to return when he's older, but when he does, he's too large to fit in the boat. Disappointed but undeterred, he constructs his own lifeboat, built "for strength. Built for him!" In this boat, Gabriel saves a fleet during a disastrous storm. Vivid copper and rose colors dominate the palette, punctuated by cool blues and grays. Vere animates the story with seafaring language ("Heave away, haul away, heave-ho, heave-HO!") and bustling verbs ("The wind whipped and whistled. The waves turned into giants, tumbling, lashing, and crashing"). Vere describes Gabriel's determination to build a boat that can carry him as "an important thought...There is only one thing I want to do...So I will do it!" The gentle reminder to readers to pursue their passions, no matter the odds against them, makes this endearing tale an inspiring one.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. An aged sea captain dies, leaving a chest containing five puppets. After some trials and adventures, the puppets--boy, girl, king, owl, and wolf--end up in the grand home of a pair of sisters and fulfill their theatrical destiny by appearing in a play written by one of the girls. The frame story of this absorbing book of nested tales involves the sea captain and his history of unfulfilled love. Within that story is a chronicle of the puppets and the sisters, and within that narrative is the puppet play itself, which features a young man tragically cursed to a life of loneliness and despair. The story ends with a servant stealing the puppets and running away, presumably to fulfill her own destiny. Like many other stories featuring toys, from Hitty to The Mouse and His Child4, there is a strain of melancholy here, with characters who long for autonomy but whose existence is dependent on the imaginations of others. This mood is perfectly captured in digitally rendered pencil drawings that add specificity (a Regency-esque setting in fictional Norendy), dignity, drama, and sheer beauty. First in "a projected trio of novellas linked by place and mood."

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) YA Proud of his family's heritage--which includes a great-great-great-great-great grandfather who salvaged shipwrecks--fifteen-year-old biracial Valdez Jones VIII has adopted the nickname Wrecker. A waterman in his own right, he has his own boat and fishes near his home in Key West. It's because of his knowledge of the area that he ends up an unwitting and unwilling accomplice to a dangerous smuggling operation. "Silver Mustache," as Wrecker dubs him, and his organization traffic in fake CDC vaccination cards, much in demand at the time by "ballplayers, movie stars, airline pilots, [and] Silicon Valley millionaires" who are out to avoid vaccination requirements. Hiaasen's writing is lively and full of sensory details: e.g., "The night's gummy and hot, a honey-colored slice of moon peeking through the wispy clouds." The satisfyingly complex plot includes grave robbers, the perils of the pandemic, a mammoth cruise ship threatening ecological disaster for the Key West coastline, the violent legacy of the KKK, a budding romance, Wrecker's high-spirited and loving family, and, best of all, locals who stand up for the place they adore. A beautifully told mystery with plenty of action and heart.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(1) K-3 The little-known subject of this enthralling picture-book biography, Tom Crean (1877-1938), first went to Antarctica as a last-minute replacement, signing on as an able seaman on Captain Scott's initial voyage; then six years later as chief petty officer on Scott's second, ill-fated expedition; and finally as second officer serving under Shackleton aboard the Endurance. Crean, while facing all the usual hardships and dangers, was undoubtedly brave and seemingly "indestructible." On a solo rescue mission, he saved two men's lives: "It is thirty-five miles across the ice shelf. The cold bites Tom to his core. He has only a few biscuits and a bar of chocolate to eat. He must keep going." Most remarkable of all, he was one of the three men (including Shackleton) who crossed the mountains of South Georgia Island on foot, resulting in the fabled rescue of all twenty-eight stranded Endurance crewmembers. Thermes's honed text, in a grabbingly immediate present tense, uses short, high-impact sentences that make the most of the inherent drama. Her illustrations (in watercolor, colored pencil, and salt) are full of detail, action, and atmosphere. Page layouts are an eye-catching, pace-setting mix of double-page spreads (in order, for example, to convey the majesty of the Antarctic landscape), full pages, and panels that progress the action and accommodate informative content such as maps. The glacial palette necessarily relies on blues and whites but is never boring, with pleasing additions of various pastel colors. Appended with Antarctica facts, an afterword, a timeline, and selected sources.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) YA This intriguing novel about pirate queen Clementine and her daughter Thea begins by toggling between "then" and "now"--in Clementine's girlhood, when she isn't allowed to explore her scientific potential because of her gender; with Thea jumping from a whaling ship to swim three miles to shore; with an argument about whether the volcano on Valonia will erupt, killing everyone on the island. As the narrative progresses, the reader is able to assemble the timeline--how the sexism that stifled Clementine's research and the pre-eruption tremor that killed her husband finally push Clementine to piracy just ahead of the cataclysm; how Thea is her reluctant accomplice until she runs away on a whaler with her crush Bauer; how Bauer rapes Thea, leading to her escape and the three-mile swim. Thea ends up in a ­settlement of Valonian survivors, including her childhood companion Wes, who's trying to turn himself into the settlement's doctor. A good portion of the narrative is Thea's survival story; another portion concerns her unfinished business with ­Clementine, where Thea will have to decide once and for all whether she belongs on the side of the law or of her mother. The quasi–New England setting, with its own geography, mythology, and economy, adds another puzzle for readers to determine how it departs from our own world. An adventure story with an exceptional amount of emotional growth, this original creation will keep readers surprised and engrossed.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(3) K-3 Serving our Country series. These high-interest titles provide overviews of the duties of different branches of the U.S. armed forces. Dynamic photographs of sleek equipment should appeal to the young audience. Comprehension is aided by clear texts and controlled vocabulary. Diverse service members depicted in peaceful pursuits are a humanizing counterpoint after descriptions of violent, dangerous activities. Introduces nonfiction conventions, including table of contents and sidebars. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Serving Our Country titles: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy and U.S. Special Forces

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Poppy Kang. In 1862, enslaved crewman Robert Smalls planned and executed an audacious, dangerous nighttime hijack of a Confederate warship, piloting ten miles into Union-controlled waters--and thereby rescuing himself and fifteen others from slavery. The text clearly relates the story while also maintaining intense suspense and drama. Illustrations are rather bland and static but help establish setting and atmosphere. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Serving our Country series. These high-interest titles provide overviews of the duties of different branches of the U.S. armed forces. Dynamic photographs of sleek equipment should appeal to the young audience. Comprehension is aided by clear texts and controlled vocabulary. Diverse service members depicted in peaceful pursuits are a humanizing counterpoint after descriptions of violent, dangerous activities. Introduces nonfiction conventions, including table of contents and sidebars. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Serving Our Country titles: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy and U.S. Special Forces

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) YA Orphaned siblings Indi, Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu sail the Mediterranean Sea slaying monsters and searching for the particular creature they think killed their parents. But instead of revenge, Indi really longs for a fabled treasure and eventually a simpler life for himself. Moskowitz manages to create an intimate-feeling narrative and moving family dynamics amid fantastical sea-faring adventure.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(4) 4-6 Bishop packs a lot of historical detail into this (fictionalized) diary account of life aboard explorer Captain James Cook's ship Endeavor, from the perspective of the ship's cook Thomas Richmond ("likely...a freed slave from Jamaica"). The acrylic and ink drawings, in muted greens, blues, and off-whites, contain speech bubbles; sidebars provide supplementary information and very basic recipes. It's somewhat hard to follow but engaging.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 With large, meticulously detailed illustrations, this nostalgic picture book lovingly details a fifty-year relationship between a man and his ship. Clean panels and spare text mythologize the stalwart seafaring man and his many voyages on the Clementine through peacetime and war until her sinking. This fictional merchant marine's story--scrupulously imagined into the back matter, which includes a route map and ship diagrams--is peculiar, particular, and grand.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Morrison. Spare rhyming text briefly touches on important life events of John Newton, an English slave trader turned abolitionist minister and the writer of a poem that evolved into the inspiring hymn. Rich, full-bleed oil paintings are powerfully evocative, but Newton is difficult to visually recognize page-to-page, creating confusion. An appended author's note provides historical details critical to understanding the subject. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) PS Illustrated by Maira Chiodi. Kelpy the otter builds a ship and sets sail, only to be laughed at by other otters, sharks, pirates, and even waves. When he stumbles upon an even tinier seafaring creature, Kelpy is the one laughing...until he realizes that sea life is more fun with a friend. The text's repetitive refrains are fit for a sea chantey; naive cut-paper illustrations complement the childlike storytelling.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) 4-6 Young Honorine has been the Vidalia family's maid for as long as she can remember. When she comes across a book that brings constellations to life and attracts sky pirates, she embarks on a swashbuckling adventure on a flying ship and learns there's more to her past than she thought. An original and spirited steampunk-meets-mythology adventure featuring an inventive, clever heroine.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) K-3 Lightning Bolt Books: US Armed Forces series. Designed for new readers, this series offers rudimentary introductions to branches of the U.S. military. With a boilerplate format, each book describes the specific branch, training, and equipment, and concludes with projections for the future. The large font and colorful photographs create interest and make for easy reading. A basic gear diagram and a few historical facts are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Lightning Bolt Books: US Armed Forces titles: Inside the US Army, Inside the US Air Force, Inside the US Marine Corps, and Inside the US Navy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Castroman's second tale (Blackhearts) further develops a foundation for Teach's legendary career as pirate Blackbeard. Teach is framed as a mutineer, while his beloved, Anne, fights the corruption and cruelty infecting Nassau. Together they outwit rivals, slavers, and politicians while cementing alliances with other piratical outcasts. The novel showcases the injustices of the colonial era even as it revels in romantic, if soap-operatic, adventure.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ed Young. Using mixed-media collage and text taken from Moby-Dick, Young and DaCosta have assembled a vivid and thoughtful introduction to Melville's celebrated American epic. Page layouts boldly shift from horizontal to vertical as the tale unfolds. A surprise twist reveals a gentler conclusion: the whale is a googly-eyed toy and the setting a bathtub, accounting for the abbreviated retelling and mellowing the high drama.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(2) K-3 A banjo-picking, bearded fisherman sails the seas alone. When an injured bird appears on deck, he bandages its wing; his tidy cabin contains a cozy sock drawer for his new friend. But it's getting colder. The fisherman changes course, sailing south to bring his companion home. Newcomer Duncan's eye for detail adds depth to this gentle friendship tale. The text, meanwhile, is spare and well paced.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017