Ship Shapes [Hardcover]

Stella Blackstone (Author), Siobhan Bell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Discover everyday shapes while sailing the open seas in search of treasure. From round submarine windows to a star-studded sea monster, these marine encounters will engage and educate!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS–In this simple concept book, two youngsters and a Dalmatian set out on a raft, calling readers: All aboard! Come along with me!/Let's see what shapes we can find on the sea. They come across many exotic scenes–including a pirate ship, a fantastic sea monster, and a green submarine–and invite children to search for nine basic shapes. The directions are consistently straightforward: Can you count all of these triangles? What are the shapes of these sails? The minimal text is paired with colorful, eye-catching artwork made from fabric collages that radiate across the spreads. Although the patterned, patchwork ocean is occasionally a bit overwhelming, children will enjoy searching the briny depths for the little fish and sea creatures hidden there.–Piper L. Nyman, formerly at Fairfield Civic Center Library, CA
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Review

"Blackstone takes a welcome departure from rhyming in her latest, a look at shapes. A boy and girl go to sea on a raft to see how many different shapes they can find...Bell's artwork is a phenomenal display of needlework. The ocean is a patchwork quilt in shades and patterns of blues; bright colors abound and youngsters will especially enjoy the variety of sea creatures. An addition to the concepts shelf that stands out for its unique artwork." --Kirkus Review

"In this simple concept book, two youngsters and a Dalmatian set out on a raft, calling readers: "All aboard! Come along with me!/Let's see what shapes we can find on the sea." They come across many exotic scenes-including a pirate ship, a fantastic sea monster, and a green submarine-and invite children to search for nine basic shapes. The directions are consistently straightforward...children will enjoy searching the briny depths for the little fish and sea creatures hidden there." --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Barefoot Books (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905236344
• ISBN-13: 978-1905236343
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,738,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stella Blackstone has written many bestselling titles for Barefoot Books, including the popular Bear and Cleo series, An Island in the Sun, Secret Seahorse and Who Are You, Baby Kangaroo? Stella lives with her family in Somerset.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a bright and delightful romp with shapes, June 29, 2006

By 

S. Larson "Children's Book Fan" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ship Shapes (Hardcover)

The artwork in this book is so cheerful and cleverly done. It gives you a really fun way to teach shapes to your child. The discovery of a sunken treasure chest adds to the adventure and excitement for the child. The boats and fish are so colorful you wish you could jump into the pictures. I took it out of my library but am going to buy a copy for my child. She is 22 months old and is learning her shapes, but is not able to count high enough to count the number of some of the shapes on the pages. But then, that means she can grow with the book. And isn't that exactly what you want out of a children's book?

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so great, October 14, 2011

By 

NesB - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ship Shapes (Hardcover)

I'm an art teacher so thats why I bought this book. The story itself was lacking, and it wouldn't do at all for my elementary students. It's a preschool book.

5.0 out of 5 stars FIRR-Kids! Review, November 11, 2008

By 

www.firrkids.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ship Shapes (Hardcover)

This is a wonderfully engaging board book about shapes! Young readers will find it enormously fun to discover the objects hidden in the illustrations. Rectangles and squares are transformed into houses, triangles masquerade as sails, and fish are comprised of diamonds. There is a seemingly endless supply of shapes that are buried like treasures in the sea and surrounding town.

As evidenced by the interior photos above and below, the illustrations are beautifully bright, which is very attractive to young readers. For parents, it is fascinating to see how all the items are carefully crafted from materials. Small squares of blue patterned fabrics are sewn together into a patchwork of a sea, cream colored cottons make up the ship sails, and a host of bright materials form the fish. The attention paid to detail is what makes this book extra special.

This book is an excellent tool for teaching children shape recognition. A shape chart on the first page details the nine shapes the readers should be looking for. Make shape learning fun for your toddler with this jewel of a book.