When he puts on his sailor suit, sailor hat, and sailor whistle, the boy in this book is ready for a journey. He imagines himself on a ship, sailing across the sea, in search of treasure. A sailor’s life is dangerous. But a sailor must be brave no matter what happens. In this charming story about imagination and adventure, told with Uri Shulevitz’s signature playfulness and style, a little boy learns how to be courageous, both on the high seas and at home. The tale is based on a childhood memory from the time when the author/illustrator and his family lived in Warsaw on the eve of World War II.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1—Shulevitz's latest picture book relays an early childhood memory of visiting a neighbor's apartment, clad in sailor attire, to play with a treasured model ship. As the room's edge transforms into an ocean and island paradise, readers feel transported. The author's understanding of what play looks like on the inside and the phenomena that disrupt such concentration is evident when the boy, mid-fantasy, feels he's being watched and the imaginary world grows hazy. He can't reenter until he confronts the problem in the real room: the dark portrait of a stern man that seems to be staring at him. Shulevitz combines child-size sentences with words that stretch and please: the boy's provisions are packed in a "valise," the climb up the apartment steps/cliff is "arduous," he sails "valiantly." The artist's mastery of the medium produces both warm, dappled interiors and Old Master severity, with convincing fades into the fantastic. The child-centered solution to the boy's problem proves, yet again, that this is the work of a wise and wonderful storyteller.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“A revealing autobiographical glimpse and an excellent insight into the power of children’s fantasies.” —Horn Book
“The child-centered solution to the boy’s problem proves, yet again, that this is the work of a wise and wonderful storyteller.” —School Library Journal
“Shulevitz’s lush transformations of reality into imaginary worlds are seamless and often breathtaking.” —Booklist
“In Shulevitz’s sketchy, intimate watercolors, close walls dissolve from patterned wallpaper to exotic locales and back behind the now-intrepid, now-anxious young explorer as indulgent adults occasionally look in.” —Kirkus Reviews
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book.,
By Randie (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: When I Wore My Sailor Suit (Hardcover)
Shulevitz captures the power of a child's imagination with this story. With his sailor outfit, some rations, and a neighbor's toy ship, this young boy is able to climb mountains, sail the high seas, explore a jungle, and escape a pirate. His adventure takes bravery and strength, but not even a storm can stop him. However, something fearful attempts to squander the boy's imagination...will he be able to conquer this fearful thing and get his imaginative world back?The watercolor illustrations are remarkable and go beyond the text, extending the story/imagination further. Great book for a read aloud!
2.0 out of 5 stars
Creepy but enjoyable,
By
This review is from: When I Wore My Sailor Suit (Hardcover)
My 3 year old is fascinated but horrified by this book. We've read it many times but he hides under the covers each time. Very interesting story... nice illustrations. I can really put myself into the author's shoes. The fake Mona Lisa at my Grandma's house did that to me too.
3.0 out of 5 stars
charming illustrations,
By
This review is from: When I Wore My Sailor Suit (Hardcover)
The author remembers a time from his childhood when he loved to imagine he went sailing on a ship. He would dress up in his sailor suit, hat, and whistle. He would climb up some stairs to his neighbor's apartment, and take down a beautiful model of a ship, and then imagine being its captain, " I sail. The seas are calm. The sun is shining. The waves start to rise. They go higher and higher. A terrible storm comes up. A sailor's life is dangerous." In the room with the model ship there is also a picture of a sailor on the wall, and the young boy imagines that the sailor is looking at him, "his gaze follows me. I sail left. His eyes follow me left." He is frightened, and stays away for a few days but then he resolutely goes back to the apartment, and tells the picture on the wall, "You can't leave this wall, you can't leave this room, but I can go far away on an exciting journey." There are some charming and evocative pictures: the room with the ship and the little boy in his sailor suit, and the little boy hiding under a table cloth. This is a sweet picture book that may appeal more to adults than children.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
