Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat

K-Gr 3—When Jonathan learns that his parents have traded his stuffed bear for a toaster, he seeks solace at the wharf where he and Frederick have spent happy hours viewing a big blue boat. In a flash of inspiration, Jonathan decides to take the retired vessel on a voyage, around the world if necessary, to find his bear. Several animals join him: a goat who frees the boat marooned overnight atop a mountain, an elephant retired from the circus, and a whale that saves the sinking ship after it is fired upon by pirates. They eventually arrive at a pawnshop where they find the girl who now owns Frederick, and she and the bear also come aboard. Youngsters will enjoy repeating the sentence that announces each traveler's addition to the expedition: "And that is how ___ came to sail the sea on a Big Blue Boat." And they will especially relish poring over the collage, acrylic, and ink artwork. Sepia-colored vignettes alternate with large illustrations that incorporate maps, stamps from distant places, postcards, and marine signals. Stead skillfully employs color to reflect Jonathan's mood: an initial bright sky when the boy and Frederick are together, growing darkness as he sets off alone, and a final scene in which an orange-bright "globe" sun beams its rays on the reunited travelers. A gentle tale heralding imagination's triumph over disappointment.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT