Review by Booklist Review
No longer satisfied by listening to her father's tales of his seafaring adventures, Hope plans to experience her own. As he prepares for another voyage as the clipper ship's carpenter, his daughter dresses as a boy and stows away onboard. Hope relays her story in an animated tone: "I can hear the sails snap to attention and salute the wind as we pick up speed." But after she's discovered, the girl is treated as a crew member and finds life as a sailor difficult. Miyares' superb pen-and-ink and muted watercolor illustrations are filled with life and movement. Varying sizes show the intricate details in the rigging, sails, and unpredictable ocean. One captivating illustration reveals the ship divided in half, with ice floes on one page and a tropical island on the other, demonstrating the extent of the ship's voyage. Hope's illustrated diary gives readers a peek into what the child observes on her long journey. As the trip nears its end, a fierce storm puts the vessel and its crew in danger, and they all must abandon ship and hope the lifeboats survive the tempest; upon approaching the rocky shore of home, a most welcome sight comes into view. The heartwarming and fitting conclusion to the sea adventure will be cheered by readers of all ages.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hope, a white, brown-haired child in a pink dress, longs to go to sea: "I don't want to hear Papa's stories after he returns. I will stow away!" Ship carpenter Papa finds Hope's hiding place aboard the 19th-century vessel almost immediately and offers forgiveness, and Hope's life at sea begins. Father introduces the child to many seafaring chores (and allows a cozy cabin berth). In one spread, he holds a sextant up to the night sky and shows Hope how to navigate: "Papa has shown me that even the smallest twinkle of light can guide us." Journey's end is marred by disaster for the ship and crew, but redeemed with triumph--and a coda that warms the heart. Miyares (Night Walk to the Sea) delivers an adventure with all the excitement an old-fashioned sea voyage can extend. Handsome line drawings show rigging and sails, period costumes for the largely white cast, great sweeps of seascape, and cinematic storm scenes. Most illustrations have only a sentence or two of text, including lively sea jargon ("Batten down the hatches!"), offering lots of action that can be followed visually. Ages 4--8. Author's agency: Studio Goodwin Sturges. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A youngster stows away aboard a clipper ship. Narrator Hope, whose father is the carpenter onboard a newly built clipper ship, longs to go to sea, so the child trades dress for trousers and stows away aboard the ship just before it sets sail. Hope's father discovers his errant offspring in a lifeboat on deck, and, in an accomplished wordless time-progression sequence, readers see that at first the father is angry, then he gives Hope a hug, accepting the child aboard. Hope learns the ropes--literally--and sees new things as the ship picks up its cargo in different countries. But when almost home, the ship encounters a storm and breaks up on the rocks. The crew, including Hope, abandons ship, and all seems lost. But a wall of lights on shore--revealed to be wives and children holding lanterns--guides the lifeboats to safety, and Hope's father realizes that the wrecked ship has one more contribution to make. This adroitly told and illustrated story has a clever surprise twist ending, while its illustrations combine a historical-looking style with accurate historic details. Skillful design decisions use double-page spreads to show the breadth of the ship's deck or the expanse of the ocean, while smaller spot illustrations are used to vignette important action that isn't described in the text. The crew includes members of color; Hope and father are illustrated as White. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A skillfully presented tale of the sea and beyond. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
