Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat [Hardcover]

Philip C. Stead (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 7, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 7 years | Lexile Measure: 600L (What's this?)

When Jonathan loses his best friend, a stuffed bear named Frederick, he sets sail on the Big Blue Boat to find him. Along the way he assembles a ragtag crew, including a mountain goat, a lonely circus elephant, and even a friendly whale. Adventure and intrigue (and pirates!) follow.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The text has a gentle, meandering flavor with a repeated cumulative refrain…. The illustrations are striking…” --BCCB

 

"Children will happily shift their focus from big to little, from large shapes to tiny numbers, from Jonathan’s story to the pieces that make up its pictures." –Starred, Kirkus Reviews

“Stead (A Sick Day for Amos McGee) uses squiggly ink lines and washes of warm color against a background of collaged newsprint, charts, and stamps that underscore the nautical theme and distance traveled . . . . a lovely, gentle adventure for younger readers.” –Starred, Publishers Weekly

“Stead combines playful compositions and his hero's serious intent in a winning combination. What at first seems almost whimsical, upon closer inspection reveals careful planning in each illustration.” –Shelf Awareness

“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.” –School Library Journal

About the Author

Philip C. Stead is the author of the Caldecott Medal winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2010, illustrated by his wife, Erin E. Stead (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2010).  Philip, also an artist, both wrote and illustrated his debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast (Roaring Brook Press, 2009), which was applauded by School Library Journal for “its wry humor and illustrations worthy of a Roald Dahl creation.”  Philip lives with Erin in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (June 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596435623
• ISBN-13: 978-1596435629
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Philip C. Stead divides his time between Ann Arbor, Michigan, and New York City. Philip is the author and illustrator of Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast, and the author of A Sick Day for Amos McGee.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loving Stead August 4, 2011

By B. Rank

Format:Hardcover

I already have a soft spot in my heart for Amos McGee but found this book at the library before I even realized it was the same author. The illustrations and imagination in the book are fantastic. Stead is able to transport you into the thoughts of a young child as they go through the sad phase of giving up a cherished stuffed animal. Anyone who can relate to a having a stuffed animal that they loved enough to take with them everywhere will love this story.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat November 6, 2011

By Miss B

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Both the story line and the illustrations are wonderful! Congratulations to Philip Stead for another great book! Every classroom and every home should have a copy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Boy and a Bear August 16, 2011

By Catherine W. Hughes

Format:Hardcover

When Jonathan leaves his stuffed teddy bear, Frederick, behind, he sails on a Big Blue Boat. He finds a mountain goat and a circus elephant, as well as a whale to sail on and take port; only to find that his stuffed teddy bear, Frederick, is still his closest friend. This lovely picture book with painterly illustrations is a nice tale about transitional objects, best for children ages 3-6.