ships – Mom Read It

The Elephant and the Sea, by Ed Vere, (May 2024, Doubleday Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780525580904

Ages 3-7

Gabriel the Elephant looks back on his younger years in this story that salutes sea rescuers. As a young elephant, Gabriel wanted desperately to join the lifeboat crews; “he wanted to be brave like them – “rowing into danger, helping sailors in trouble at sea, singing as they went” – but first, he was too young to join them; then, too big to fit in the boat. Undeterred, Gabriel researched, planned, practiced, and ultimately made his own boat – and just in time, when a big storm hits and Gabriel has to save the fleet and the rescue boat! Vere blends an inspiring story of determination and spirit with an adventure to create a tribute to “all the brave people who risk their lives to save others”, as mentioned in his dedication. Use of the repetitive phrase “Heave away, haul away, heave-HO!” comes in handy for an interactive readaloud, and Vere’s illustration, heavily outlined and set on what looks like aged paper, adds the real feeling of an old document. Don’t miss this one. Download a free Elephant activity here!

The Elephant and the Sea has starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

Great Ports of the World From New York to Hong Kong, by Mia Cassany/Illustrated by Victor Medina, (Oct. 2018, Prestel Publishing), $14.95, ISBN: 9783791373553

Ages 5-11

Take a look at some of the world’s ports and explore different cultures! Great Ports of the World takes readers on a tour of some of the world’s most incredible seaports: Hamburg, over 800 years old; Hong Kong, where a container is being loaded or unloaded every single second; New York, with the Statue of Liberty welcoming ships in New York Harbor. There are 15 featured ports here; from New York, through Europe, Asia, and the Congo. Beautifully illustrated by Victor Medina, each spread offers a boldly illustrated, brightly colored port of call, with loads of little details that will keep readers entertained. The art is charming and fun, with a great vintage travel poster feel; it brings Mia Cassany’s brief, informative text to life, illustrating key points of cultural and industrial history for each site. You’ll see a cross-section of a cruise ship that includes a zoo and a discotheque in Barcelona, a mummy playing peek-a-boo in Egypt, and cats hanging out on the rooftops of London.

This is a fun book to have in your nonfiction collections, and an entertaining way to introduce port cities and the history of industry to young readers.