Zoom at Sea [Hardcover]

Tim Wynne-Jones (Author), Eric Beddows (Illustrator)

Book Description

Zoom's afternoon exploration of the attic yields a mysterious map to the sea, and with a swish of her skirt, her imagination transforms the dark house into a beach scene. By the author of Zoom Away.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This fanciful nautical adventure stars a winsome cat named Zoom who stays indoors paddling in the sink or sailing in the bathtub all night "when other self-respecting cats are out mousing and howling at the moon." One day Zoom finds in his Uncle Roy's diary a map of "the sea and how to get there," which leads him to the house of the enigmatic Maria. This woman turns wheels, cranks cranks and opens "rows upon rows of tiny doors," letting in the ocean until Zoom cannot "even see the walls of this giant room, only the sun coming up like gold, and silver fish dancing on the waves." Although Zoom doesn't reach his Uncle's ship as he plans, Maria tells him that he can come back, and the reader is assured that "he did. / But that's another tale." Beddows's intricately detailed black-and-white drawings convey just the right sense of mystery as the world created by both author and illustrator seems to hover tantalizingly between reality and fantasy, and the plucky hero has an adventure any child would envy. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books (March 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060214481
• ISBN-13: 978-0060214487
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 0.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,647,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful text, magical illustrations!, February 16, 2001

By 

D. Harman (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zoom at Sea (Hardcover)

I discovered this book a few years ago by accident on the bargain table of my local bookstore. What a delight! From the first page I was entranced by the concise and clever text, and the joyful, detailed illustrations. Zoom, the cat who loves water (but not to drink...to drink he likes cream) endears the reader to him with his sense of wonder and adventure, and his kindness (even his politeness!). I've given this book as a gift three times since I bought myself a copy, and it's always received rave reviews. I hear it's being reprinted in 2001. Now that I'll be able to find this book again, I'm planning on buying another copy just so I can have framed the illustration of Zoom, leaping for joy as his raft rides the ocean waves, calling back to his new friend Maria, "More fish!" ------- More Zoom!