Bertie and Small and the Brave Sea Journey - Hardcover

Cabban, Vanessa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763608785 ISBN 13: 9780763608781

Publisher: Candlewick, 1999

Synopsis

Using a box for a ship, Bertie and his toy rabbit Small take an imaginary sea journey, braving a crocodile, sharks, and a storm.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-"Bertie and Small play together every day. Small is the rabbit and Bertie wears the hat with long floppy ears." Together the stuffed animal and active toddler make a house, go for a car ride, and sail across the sea in Brave Sea Journey. Dad joins the fun and all three play until they collapse from exhaustion. In Fast Bike Ride, the two friends explore the great outdoors. They go through the desert, through the meadow, and around a mountain. On the way home they encounter a rainstorm, really a sprinkler, and take a lovely "treasure" to the tyke's mother: dandelions picked on their adventure. Both stories mirror a young child's imagination and busyness. Cabban's text and pencil-and-watercolor illustrations combine to capture the essence of being a toddler. The soft colors and short text are in perfect harmony. Young children will delight in seeing a bit of themselves in these two episodes. The simple language includes sounds they can join in on, such as: "Bump! Bump! Bump!" and "Swish! Swish! Swish!" An unnamed dachshund with an expressive face appears in each illustration as an active participant in the day's frolics. Excellent choices for toddler storytimes.
Olga R. Barnes, Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

In Cabban's first children's books, two simple, gentle stories evoke a child's resourcefulness and creativity. The disarming toddler and plush bunny who star in these books bear a humorous resemblance to each other. BertieAin a one-piece powder-blue outfit topped off by a hood with bunny earsAhas the awkward floppiness and mild smile of Small, the stuffed animal. In the first book, the pair sets out on Bertie's fast bike to tour the world; they cross the "desert" (a patch of sand) and circle a "mountain" (a mound of dirt). When Bertie and Small and the family dachshund take their found "treasure" (pebbles and dandelions) back to Mommy, their sense of mission and importance is palpable. In the second book, the duo shows no fear: when Daddy helps Bertie and Small sail in their boat (fashioned from a box), "They say Boo! to the crocodile and Shoo! to the sharks." Cabban's admirable skill at capturing how toddlers bend, reach and walk helps keep Bertie's cuteness balanced with realism. These quiet, cozy books are just right for winding down after an ever-so-busy toddler day. Ages 2-4. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0763608785
• ISBN 13: 9780763608781
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 24
• Illustrator: Cabban Vanessa