Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The story begins with an old ship, a button, and a peg-legged boy's elaborate plan to cheer up his friend. Through a series of swaps, the two trade goods with all manner of people until they have everything they need to fix up the ship. The button gets them two teacups. The teacups are exchanged for three coils of rope and now they're really in business. The swaps grow more elaborate, as they need to keep some of the supplies for themselves. Gradually stocking their rowboat, the pair sails around to different islands swapping for oars, anchors, sails, fancy hats, and other necessities. As in Have You Seen My Monster? (2015), Light leaves much of his intricately drawn scenes uncolored, reserving pigment for the most important elements of each page the boy, his friend, a curious monkey, the items being swapped, and the periwinkle-blue sea. Though the story is told through very little text, the mathematics inherent to each exchange extend to older readers. If they trade four of their six oars, how many should be left? These questions are not explicitly asked, but the illustrations always bear out the answers. The result is a delightful adventure with a sweet underlying message, and the treasure maps that grace the endpapers are a perfect final touch.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A small sailor boy with a knitted cap, friendly smile, and wooden leg spies a dejected sea captain whose dilapidated boat needs an overhaul. Lit with inspiration, the boy swaps a button off the captain's coat for two teacups, then the teacups for three coils of rope: "Swap!" The exchanges continue in brief, telegraphic sentences punctuated by calls of "Swap!" (a good spot for children to chime in). Light (Have You Seen My Monster?) explores the logic of barter as the friends leverage excess items for things they really need: "One flag for three anchors. Swap! Two anchors for nine sails. Swap!" The boy, the captain, and their acquisitions appear in color while the finely detailed backgrounds are left in black and white (other than the bright blue of the sea). The boy's wooden leg is a physical difference that isn't remarked upon and doesn't hinder him from doing what he likes, and the fact that it's the boy who comes up with the plan is satisfying, too. Light's story will leave readers with much to think about. Ages 3-7. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-As he did in Have You Seen My Dragon? (2014) and Have You Seen My Monster? (2015, both Candlewick), Light brings his exceptional talent and clever storytelling to young pirate lovers and fans of all things nautical. A loose button is the creative spark that sets a down-on-his-luck sailor and his best mate on a swapping spree throughout some busy port islands, trading and profitting from the castoffs of others to refurbish their ship and make it seaworthy once again. Their barters include "two coils of rope for six oars." They then trade away two of the oars for four flags, then one flag for three anchors, and so on. Light's trademark sharp black line cartoon drawings are endlessly interesting in themselves yet have just enough pops of color to highlight the protagonists, their loot, and the deep blue sea. The repeated refrain of "SWAP!" affords the opportunity for interaction, and the easily counted items provide some math activity and build anticipation of seeing the fully re-rigged vessel. Several pages of sequential panels assist the minimal text in telling this engaging story of ingenuity and resilience. VERDICT A fun-filled swapfest for salty dogs and landlubbers alike.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. 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 Kirkus Book Review
A broken-down captain and his young, peg-legged mate rediscover an ages-old system to rebuild their battered ship without spending a penny. It's called barter or swap, that mode of trade that requires not coinage but need. Light starts at the very beginning: the poor captain has a button, which doesn't look very promising until a lady agrees to swap two teacups for the button, which the boy then turns around and swaps for three coils of rope. For two of the coils he gets six oars, and for two of the oars he gets six flags. Flags? Well, you never know where things may lead. Flags beget anchors that beget sails that beget ships' wheels and birds and jaunty hats and a hand-carved figurehead. Next thing you know, the old wreck is not only seaworthy, but has a bit of dash. Light's artwork is lightly amusing throughout, with a throng of crabbed ink lines busily filling the mostly white backgrounds, making the incidents of colorblue here, purple and orange therethe more sparkling. Complementing the smart artwork is a smart story: you don't have to have a pocket full of gold to get by; wits often work just as well. Though the boy's peg leg immediately conjures hoary old pirate tropes, these are honest, hard-working tars, and it's a positive delight to see a disabled boy depicted as an equal participant in the economy. Keep your bitcoinsyou never know when somebody might need a button. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
