Anchored by Debra Tidball illustrated by Arielle Li

 

"Tug watched Ship pull out into the deep ocean. 'I'll miss you,' boomed Ship, flags waving. 'But I'll be home soon.' The gap between them widened."

After you read this book to your group go back and look at this opening sentence. Debra Tidball has carefully selected every word here. Tug has a capital letter because she is a main character and Ship also has a capital letter. Ship is heading off into the unknown - the deep ocean. Ship is large so her voice booms. And she is happy, perhaps anticipating an adventure - her flags are waving. Then we read the heart wrenching words - the gap between them widened. I have a photo of a scene like this from 1948 when my mum sailed off from Australia to the UK leaving her sister waving from the dock. It is a happy scene but also filled with emotion.

"With Ship away, the sea shone a little less brightly."

Until finally Boom Boom Boom Ship returns to the port. 

"Ship towered over Tug like a warm hug."

While Tug stayed home working on the busy harbour, Ship travelled the world but in every place Ship thought about Tug. Read these descriptions of the places Ship visits:

"I've been to the tropics, where the sea glitters like crystals and jellyfish dance in shimmering shoals."

"I've been out past the breakers where the swell pulses and grows into a wild beast that crashes over my hull."

"I was just a dot in an endless blue sea and sky. I felt lost in the inky nights speckled with twinkling stars."

When I was a CBCA judge (2021-23) I argued against listing picture books in more than one category for our annual awards so I was surprised to see we have two picture books in the Early Childhood (ages 0-6) and the Picture Book (ages 0-18) category - Anchored by Debra Tidball and The Concrete Garden by Bob Graham.  I think is this is a testament to the way a terrific picture book can work across ages - appealing to very young children and exploring deeper themes with children in Grade One or Two. I am certain this book will be selected for one of these short lists which will be announced next week. 

The Early Childhood CBCA Judges said: Depicted with sensitivity and empathy, this gentle book explores separation anxiety and associated emotions. The characters are well-defined, with Tug and Ship having a clear relationship and different roles, reflecting that of a parent and child. Tug’s insecurities and concerns are acknowledged and conveyed in a highly effective sequence of illustrations that echo the taut text. Softly blurred, circular framing of key images suggests the safety and security of a “warm hug” during difficult times. Tug’s self-talk invites discussion. Carefully selected words such as ‘pushing’, ‘pulling’, and ‘prodding’ in both the beginning and end of the story reflect the concept that life goes on. The well-realised conclusion references the title with the closing image featuring the two characters separate yet connected.

The Picture Book of the Year CBCA Judges said: This gentle, emotional story celebrates friendship which helps weather any storm and makes the world seem brighter. Small Tug learns to cope with the absence of his friend Ship who ventures on long journeys across the deep ocean, discovering that a friend’s presence remains firmly anchored in one’s heart, regardless of distance. The story’s language is evocative and rich, enlivened by literary devices such as simile, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia. The narrative is elevated by illustrations that skillfully vary in layout and size, bound together by a softly muted colour palette transitioning from the light blue of the skies to the deeper and midnight blues of the ocean. From an appealing cover and attractive endpapers to the overall harmony between written text and illustrations, it is an example of an excellently designed and effective picture book.

Here is the webpage for Arielle Li. And for Debra Tidball. In this very brief video Debra Tidball talks about her book and her personal connections with the story. Here are some very detailed teachers notes from the publisher. The book trailer has a very appealing soundtrack and no words. It is well worth watching. Here is an interview with Debra Tidball. 

Written for our youngest readers to reassure them that even though they might be separated from a parent for a time, out of sight does not mean out of mind and that they are always anchored in the heart of the absent one regardless.  At a time when there are many reasons that separation might happen, stories like this help alleviate anxiety and confirm that the parent will return. The Bottom Shelf

Anchored may be helpful in a classroom with little ones who are missing absent parents, or in families where adults travel for work. Story Links

You can read more review extracts here. 

When I first saw this book, I thought it might be a little bit like the old series -  Thomas the Tank Engine because the ship and tug have faces and smiles, but this book is so much more. You could share Anchored in your library with students from Kindergarten up to Grade 2 but I would NOT link this book with other simple funny stories about ferries or tug boats such as Little Tug by Steven Savage; I'm Mighty! by Kate McMullan; Mighty Tug by Alyssa Satin Capucilli; Tough Tug by Margaret Read MacDonald; Fergus the Ferry series by JW Noble; or Scuffy the Tug Boat (A Little Golden Book). 

The emotional arc of this narrative reminded me of this book: