Customer Reviews

The Raft

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a young girl, I loved summers in upstate NY with my grandmother. This book - from the first illustration to the end - hurled me backward in time. I loved it. I used it as part of a group of river-related books in my Reading program for 3,4 and 5th graders. I loved reading it aloud to the students time and time again and they loved listening to it. Some of them chose to read it again by themselves. We put together a wonder mural of river life after reading this and all the other river-related books. It was a wonderful read for us all. My students were amazed at how the little boy could have any fun without a TV. The theme of enjoying nature was evident from the get-go and the illustrations gently reinforced the message.

The Raft is a book that captures the heart of the reader with its great illustrations and vivid details of na-ture. It is a story of a boy who travels to his grandmother's house for the summer but really does not want to go. Her house is by a river where Nicky discovers a raft and a love of nature. He soon realizes the raft attracts animals, encountering many he hadn't seen in real life. Animals that would normally be frightened by a human seem calmed by the raft
During the summer he falls in love with drawing nature like his grandmother, who is also an artist. It is a story about a series of events that probably wouldn't happen, but the reader might wish they could.
The colorful illustrations by the author are some of the most delight-ful I have seen. He makes objects look exactly the way the reader might envision them.
The author had a cabin by a river near Lake Superior, and in his childhood memories he did not actually find a raft like this, but he did dream of it.
This book would appeal to chil-dren between the ages 6 and 8, or younger as a read-aloud. It is a great story for older children, teens, and adults as well.
If you like books about nature and animals this is your book.

My 5 year old son loved this book. We enjoyed reading it together. It allowed him to feel like he was on an adventure. He related to the boy in the book. Even though it takes place in Wisconsin, it applies to anywhere a boy can use his imagination. We both looked forward to seeing what was going to happen next. This book has become his favorite.

This is a short story, 32 large pages including text and illustrations. It is suitable for reading to a young child or group of children, or for slightly older children to read by themselves. The author/illustrator has done an outstanding job integrating text and large full-color illustrations to hold a child's interest. It is a story of summertime childhood adventures that children can easily relate to.

In every book order, there is at least one picture book that the staff agrees is "special" - a book where a well-written, often touching story line is joined by a set of remarkable illustrations. Such is the case with Jim LaMarche's The Raft. Between a sound story and beautiful pastel drawings, it is not just librarians who find this story "special." Recently read at StoryHour, the young audience appeared to thoroughly enjoy this tale, pointing out favorite illustrations and identifying the numerous birds and animals. All agreed that it would be wonderful to have a raft that attracted creatures so closely that one is hanging out with geese and chickadees, and feeding otters by hand. The Raft is a quiet tale of love, ecology, and in a sense, magic. It invites the reader to pour over the detailed illustrations and float away in his/her own imagination. Perfect for a peaceful getaway, The Raft is definitely one way to go.

The first time I read through this book, I found it a bit unbelievable--animals coming right up to the boy on his raft! But my second "viewing" showed the amazing paintings, the engaging storyline, and the full characters. Being a native to Wisconsin, I am a bit biased, but I think anyone anywhere will enjoy this book. I would share this story with lower elementary students so the pictures and subject matter can be fully appreciated.

LaMarche touches so many emotions with this wonderful story of relationships. Lovely illustrations speed one's heart into the deeper meaning of each page as the tale unfolds. If you ever had a Grama that was larger than life...this book is especially for you. An artist from soul to stern, this grandmother is a nurturer of true inner peace and dignity. Her young summer charge finds reluctance is a path not to tread. True friendship and understanding never comes to any of us who hurry...the essence of this book is soft, slow, true.

The Raft by Jim Lamarche is one of those works that will grab you right from the start and keep you turning the pages, page after page. This is one of the better books for children I have had the pleasure of reading for some time now. I suppose that the entire subject is near and dear to my heart. Having spent the majority of my over sixty years in the outdoors, and being an amateur naturalist, this one hit quite close to home.

A young boy is being taken to his grandmother's house for the summer. This child is obviously a city boy and has little enthusiasm for the life his grandmother (a self confessed "river rat") leads. After all, he has no friends there, and heaven forbid, there is NO television! The young boy is never-the-less taken to the woods, Wisconsin, and left for the summer to be with his grandmother. Her house is located by a river and is quite isolated.

This entire little book is a story of discovery; as the young boy learns from his grandmother and from his own observations of the natural world around him. He soon discovers an old raft in the river which changes his life and his perception of the world around him.

The author tells a simple tale here with none of the wild adventures of Huck Finn and his ilk. I like a calm tale now and then to read to the kids and this one fits that liking quite nicely. The text is quite precise and quite readable, either by the child, or better yet, to be read by an adult reader. This is an ideal group reading book. I have used it numerous times in front of large groups of children and even the most dull and insensitive of the group ask for repeat readings. This is an excellent endorsement for any child's book.

The art work in this book is worth the price of the book alone. The author has used mellow, chalk-like tones and colors which capture the mood perfectly. The author is quite a talented follow by any standard. Actually, I would not mind having some of his originals on my wall.

For a pure delightful and thoughtful read, it would be difficult to find a work better than this one. I highly recommend it for any personal, school or public library.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

My daughter is 5 and loves this book, as do I. As we got to the last page, she said, "Read it again!" The illustrations are so beautiful and what a great way for children to see the beauty of nature. Another great thing about this book, is showing kids(and adults) that you don't need tv to have an amazing time.

I love using this book in my class. After I read it aloud, I have all my students write down different events in the book. Then, I pass out 8 popsicle sticks to each student. On six of the sticks, they write down events from the story. Then they switch with a partner and put the events in chronological order. They glue their six sticks together in order side to side, with two additional sticks glued under them (holding them together) - creating their own raft. They love it.