A Little Ferry Tale

by Chad Otis (Author) Chad Otis (Illustrator)

A Little Ferry Tale
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

In the spirit of The Little Engine That Could, this sweet picture book introduces Little Ferry, who yearns to be more like the faster or stronger boats in the harbor only to find out her uniqueness can be her strength.

Little Ferry feels like no one notices her. She isn't strong like Tugboat or fast like Speedboat or graceful like Sailboat, the boats everyone loves to watch. But Little Ferry is special, too! She's patient and careful and always on time. And when disaster flares on Wildlife Island, Little Ferry finds that her quiet traits are the very ones that will help her finally stand out and save the day.

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$18.99

Kirkus

Charming for coastal ferry-riding kids but less enticing for the landlocked. 

Publishers Weekly

Traveling between land and an island wildlife refuge, Little Ferry is careful, reliable, and quiet--and feels unappreciated by her passengers, who cheer "rough and fearless" Tugboat; velocity-centric Speedboat; and "carefree and graceful" Sailboat. Attempting one day to compete with the others for attention, Little Ferry is told, "You certainly were not made for THIS!" But when the island's inhabitants need evacuating during a fire, the very qualities that make the other vessels flashy also render them ineffectual: "Little Ferry was quiet as she neared the shore. She was slow and careful as she lowered her ramp. And she was patient as she waited for the animals to climb on." This tale of a mild-mannered entity coming into her own has a familiar trajectory, including a "You got this!" moment when self-doubt strikes. But Otis's (Cold Turkey) narration offers a subtle intensity, conveyed alongside layered watercolor-like digital spreads that balance cartoon anthropomorphism and action with ample color and texture. His use of blue is particularly noteworthy: from the lightest of sky-blue washes to the bay's iridescent striations, the setting fully lives up to its description as "a place with more water than land." Ages 4-8. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Aug.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Chad Otis
Chad Otis has a BFA in design from the University of Washington School of Art. He's been working with the likes of Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Online for over twenty-five years as an animator, illustrator, and creative director. Chad lives in Boise, Idaho, and is also the illustrator of Cuddle Monkey and author-illustrator of A Little Ferry Tale.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534487697
Lexile Measure
510
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books
Publication date
August 02, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV041020 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Boats, Ships, & Underwater Craft
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Boats and boating
Individual differences
Ferries

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