Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-In this simple concept book, two youngsters and a Dalmatian set out on a raft, calling readers: "All aboard! Come along with me!/Let's see what shapes we can find on the sea." They come across many exotic scenes-including a pirate ship, a fantastic sea monster, and a green submarine-and invite children to search for nine basic shapes. The directions are consistently straightforward: "Can you count all of these triangles?" "What are the shapes of these sails?" The minimal text is paired with colorful, eye-catching artwork made from fabric collages that radiate across the spreads. Although the patterned, patchwork ocean is occasionally a bit overwhelming, children will enjoy searching the briny depths for the little fish and sea creatures hidden there.-Piper L. Nyman, formerly at Fairfield Civic Center Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
All aboard! Come along with me!"" Read straight through, the rhythmic text is pleasing if undistinguished, but stopping after each line to identify shapes (""What are the shapes of these small fish?"") makes it difficult to follow the story. The quilted fabric illustrations, which incorporate many simple shapes into fanciful images of an ocean journey, are the main draw. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Blackstone takes a welcome departure from rhyming in her latest, a look at shapes. A boy and girl go to sea on a raft to see how many different shapes they can find. The duo encounters sailboats, a pirate ship, a steamboat, a sea monster, a fishing boat, a submarine and an island with buried treasure. Nine basic shapes are pictured and named on the first page and include a star, diamond, crescent and semi-circle. The text asks readers to find, identify or count the shapes of various objects found on the pages. The final page leaves readers with a too-subtle hint that they can search their own world for shapes: "Let's have a look all around us / And count up the shapes we've been shown." Bell's artwork is a phenomenal display of needlework. The ocean is a patchwork quilt in shades and patterns of blues; bright colors abound and youngsters will especially enjoy the variety of sea creatures. An addition to the concepts shelf that stands out for its unique artwork. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
