Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4-8. A family rows a small dinghy out to a sailboat to spend the day on the water, only to have the bright sky turn dark as high winds churn up an angry sea. Calm finally returns, and the sail ends with light from the setting sun and a lighthouse leading the boat to a safe mooring. Text and graphics are closely tied, with every graphic element, even the page layout, contributing to the visual and visceral feeling of the story. Like most of Crews' other books, this is aimed at young children, but with the proper introduction it can be used with visually oriented readers beyond the primary level: the illustrations provide a sophisticated lesson in the way graphic design and layout can evoke an emotional response. (Reviewed Apr. 1, 1995)0688110533Janice Del Negro
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In the tradition of Truck and Freight Train, Crews spirits young readers away in an interesting vehicle, this time for a day of sailing. The power in the air and water are palpable as a family rows the dinghy out to board their sailboat and embark on an exciting trip. But when ``clear skies turn cloudy and gray'' and the seas become angry, the crew faces some scary moments. Crews's short phrases and multi-sized typefaces work in tandem to convey a true feeling of motion. In one particularly striking spread, for example, the word ``Whoosh!'' appears in giant letters as the sails are raised; the letters gradually bleach from a nautical blue ``W'' to a brilliant white ``H.'' Sunny blues and greens and lots of crisp white make up an appropriate seafaring palette. Even landlubbers won't be able to resist this invigorating outing. Ages 2-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3With inventive interplay between typeface and art, Crews conveys the excitement of a somewhat harrowing sailing experience. It starts out as a perfect day when the small sloop leaves its mooring, putt putts out under the bridge, passes the lighthouse, and sets sail. A violent storm provides a dramatic crescendo to the adventure before the boat returns home safely as the sun is setting. The brief text with selected onomatopoeia works harmoniously with the bold yet fluid watercolor art to create the sensation of sailing. The clever design utilizes typeface to further extend the impression of motion: slanted words mirror the angle of the wind, letters change size during climactic plot shifts, and, at times, the print is incorporated into the illustrationswhen the sails catch the wind with a forceful WHOOSH, the overblown letters billow onto the white sail. With his unerring sense of color and design, Crews has again successfully captured the essence of a moving experience within the confines of a book.Caroline Ward, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Text and pictures follow a family out on 'a perfect day for sailing.' The clean, crisp watercolors impart peace and tranquility at the start of the sail and then unfold to a dramatic double-page spread of wind filling the sails. A sudden storm kicks up, but the family make it safely back to shore by nightfall. The paintings move and swell, and the words are haikulike in their efficiency and implication. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
