COELHO, Rogério. Boat of Dreams. illus. by Rogério Coelho. 80p. Tilbury House. Jan. 2017. Tr $22.95. ISBN 9780884485285.

Gr 1-4 –Outside a seaside cottage sitting on stilts, an elderly gent and his avian companion spy a glass bottle floating in the ocean. When the bottle reaches the shore, the man discovers that it contains a blank sheet of paper. The bird encourages him to sketch a picture on the paper, and the man does, creating a fantastical flying ship, replete with ornate fixtures and billowing sails. Stunning stylized sepia artwork on full pages and in panels illustrates this wordless story and depicts a tiny home crammed with cabinets and cupboards and bins and shelves packed with books, pencils, lamps, radios, and drawings. Close-up interior views open to wide-angle outdoor scenes, heightening the tale’s mystery. The man’s picture eventually finds its way into the hands of a boy whose home in a distant city is reminiscent of the cottage by the sea: filled to the brim with pictures and papers, ship models, and drawing tools. The child adds his face and his cat’s to the drawing and tapes it to his headboard before falling asleep. He dreams that he travels on the ship and meets and embraces the man before sailing home. At night, in bed, the man looks at the drawing the boy has returned. When morning breaks, readers are back with the child, who greets the dawn with arms outstretched. Has the man been reunited with the child? VERDICT Intriguing images and interpretations abound, offering readers lots to pore over and ponder. A lovely choice.–Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

This review was published in the School Library Journal February 2017 issue.