Ahoy!
by Sophie Blackall (Author)
Join a child captain and parent first mate as they embark on a wild high seas adventure...all without leaving the living room! This imaginative romp of a picture book is filled with glorious illustrations from a beloved Caldecott Medalist and New York Times bestselling creator.
Raise the mainsail!
Batten the hatches!
It's time to set sail...on the couch!
There's a storm coming, and a child is ready to captain the ship. "Make haste and climb aboard," they call out to their parent, "before you're swept out to sea!"
Sea? What sea? The parent is only trying to vacuum the rug. But the child is adamant. It's not a rug--it's the ocean. And that broom? It's the ship's mast. Soon enough, child and parent are both off on an imaginary nautical adventure!
Here is a thoroughly engaging, hilarious picture book that celebrates the joys of playing make-believe--and hanging out with a parent!
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Kirkus
This be good clean fun on the salty seas.
Publishers Weekly
A child helps an adult sail away in this high-seas adventure from two-time Caldecott Medalist Blackall. On one side of a room, an adult in a yellow beanie vacuums a round blue rug; on the other, a child in a striped jersey and black cap is busy with a project. Hand-lettered text balloons animate the pale-skinned characters' exchange. Asked what they're playing, the child replies, "I'M NOT PLAYING!" Asked why they're shouting, they respond, "BECAUSE THERE'S A STORM COMING!... I'M FITTING OUT OUR SHIP AND PREPARING TO SAIL!" The adult's protests around engaging ("I can't right now, Peanut...") are urgently dismissed, and the caretaker is lured in with a promise that they'll be allowed to help draw the map. After that, wrinkles in the rug become realistic waves, and chairs draped with toilet paper turn into a full-size ship sailing a whale-populated sea. When a phone call interrupts ("WE ARE IN THE DOLDRUMS," the child hollers, face down), the grown- up finds a sparkling way to get things going again. Visual inventiveness pays homage to shared adventures in this work that toggles dynamically between two competing universes--and in which the child's reality, and fitting vocabulary, take command ("HOLD FAST TO THE MIZZENMAST!"). Includes a glossary of nautical jargon. Ages 4-8. Agent: Nancy Gallt, Gallt & Zacker Literary (Apr.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
ALA/Booklist
Tiny sea captains everywhere will cherish this lovely tale.
Review quotes
★ Avast, me mateys! This be good clean fun on the salty seas. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ ....Brilliantly constructed....Blackall excels at setting the stage for the imaginary play. —The Horn Book, starred review
★ Blackall's take on imaginative play is superb, as both the narrative and visuals of this picture book thematically carry readers up and down like a rolling sea. —The Bulletin, starred review
★ This delightful tale highlights and celebrates the powerful bonding that happens when caregivers engage in imaginative play with children....Tiny sea captains everywhere will cherish this lovely tale. —Booklist, starred review
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
Imagination
Adventure and adventurers
Adventure stories
Sailing
