Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

K-Gr 2—These four newly reissued works in Ardizzone's "Little Tim" series clearly show why certain titles remain classics over time. Spanning from 1936 with the publication of Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain to 1962 with Tim's Friend Towser, these charmingly traditional tales, illustrated delicately with pen and ink and soft washes of watercolor, follow the adventures of a young wannabe sailor. From stowing away aboard a steamer to rescuing a cat from a burning ship, Tim almost always winds up in some sort of trouble on the high seas—though all's well by the last page. Tim All Alone, which finds the youngster working as a cabin boy while searching for his missing parents along the seaboard, won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal in 1956. Modern adult readers may balk at the idea of a knee-high child embarking on dangerous excursions sans parents, but kids will embrace Tim's admirable independence and intrepid spirit.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal