The voyage

The sea beckons a little girl toward daring deeds and hard-fought growth. As a child, our narrator, who presents Black, looks out from a verdant home, away from her mother and father, across the sea, toward the horizon, and dreams of "secret islands, of hidden treasures." She builds a humble but ambitious makeshift boat with the help of her parents and embarks on a trip into the unknown. Lush, swirling, expressionistic mixed-media illustrations make the sea as lively and inviting as it is terrifying and threatening, all in bright, dynamic hues. Likewise, the protagonist meets varied characters and obstacles--tempests and monsters, sailors in need of help, high-stakes dice games--on her way to growing into a sort of pirate of her own making. Upon meeting a blond-haired, pale-skinned young boy, the narrator encounters her greatest adventure yet: parenthood. The pair continue to grow--the young woman into old age and the boy into maturity--until it's clear that the former's journey has found its destination and the latter's is only just beginning. Our narrator gives her adopted child the makeshift boat; he's as enchanted as young readers will be by this charming, heartfelt tale, translated from French. Adventure awaits, warmly delivered with striking images, magical colors, and inspiring courage. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.