My Father's Boat [Hardcover]

Sherry Garland (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Breathtaking seascapes and a lyrical text portray three generations of fishermen. This picture book evokes a passion for fishing, the livelihood shared by a Vietnamese grandfather, an immigrant father, and an American-born son. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this poignant tale, a Vietnamese American boy heads out into the Gulf of Mexico on his father's shrimp boat. He learns how to store shrimp in ice chests and to shake "angry" crabs from the nets. But more important, he hears his father tell stories of his own father, a shrimp fisherman on the South China Sea, and of the war that separated them: "He could not leave the land he loved, and I could not stay." Garland (The Lotus Seed) welds telling details of the sea, sky and fishing life into a powerful narrative engine that draws the reader into the deeper waters of unspoken sentiments. Her skillful, simply worded descriptions ("Over the water men's voices float, deep and hoarse, as if they haven't drunk their morning coffee yet") are ably matched by Rand's (Baby in a Basket) sometimes impressionistic seascapes and realistic portraits. One particularly moving double-page spread shows the boy and his father facing the grandfather, worlds apart yet brought together by thought and memory. A haunting evocation of the aches and solaces of being a father and of being a son. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4AA young boy and his father arrive at the dock before dawn to board their shrimp boat and head out to sea. During the day, the man reflects on his boyhood in Vietnam where his father is a fisherman. He promises the child that he will someday take him to meet his grandfather and the three of them will fish together in the South China Sea. The strong bond between father and son is gently revealed as they share their thoughts and hard work. The text flows effortlessly. The spectacular double-page watercolor and acrylic spreads are filled with the colors and moods of the ocean, from the fog-bound pier to the dazzling sunrise on the open water, to the daylight-filled scenes on the boat. Each page is a rich and varied feast for the eyes from vast horizons to close-up moments. Dolphins, jellyfish, gulls, and pelicans dance across the pages. As the boy describes his day, his cultural heritage is brought to life through words and pictures. Like Garland's The Lotus Seed (Harcourt, 1993), this is a thoughtful and loving family story.ACarol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1st edition (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590478672
• ISBN-13: 978-0590478670
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,171,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sherry Garland is the award-winning author of twenty-eight books for children, teenagers and adults. Several of her books focus on the Vietnamese culture due to her close friendships with Vietnamese families. As a fifth generation Texan, she also sets many of her books in the Lone Star State. She especially likes to write historical works. For more information, visit her website: www.sherrygarland.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated story about Vietnamese Fishermen., May 21, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Father's Boat (Hardcover)

Vietnamese culture is explored in this book about a family of three generations of fishermen. A man takes his son on his first shrimp fishing run. The son begins to follow in his father's footsteps. While out on the boat, the son finds out that his grandfather was also a fisherman as well. But, due to the Civil Wars in Vietnam both the father and the grandfather were separated. And the boy's father hasn't seen his own father since he was his son's age. This makes the son wonder if his grandfather passed the trade onto his own father in the same way. This book is beautifully illustrated with soft muted colors on rag stock. I recommend this book for any school or public library.