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:

The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg

Patricia Stark, known as Pepper, is the daughter of Captain Stark commander of the RMS Aquitania. Pepper longs to travel with her father across the ocean from London to New York. It is the 1920s - the age of luxury ocean travel especially for those lucky enough to travel in the First Class where there are scrumptious fixtures and delicious gourmet meals. Quite unexpectedly Captain Stark presents Pepper with a ticket. This is a huge surprise because early on in the story she had tried to stow away on the Aquitania. She was caught and her father was so angry with her but the ship steward Rory Lyons talked him round and so now she can travel.

When Pepper boards the ship she marvels at the beautiful interiors and the glamorous passengers. One of these is the famous actress Perdita West. She is wearing or a better word might be flaunting, the priceless Saffron Diamond. Of course if you have read other "whodunit" stories or you are a fan of Agatha Christie, you will guess at once that this diamond is sure to be stolen.

Pepper has made some great friends onboard. A young boy called Toby who is travelling with his blind father; Sol another young boy who is travelling to New York in the hope of becoming a pastry chef; and a third class passenger an aspiring young singer called Norah.

You will find yourself racing all over the ship with this group of kids trying to locate the villain. Adding to the pressure, Pepper knows her father is in danger of losing his job as Captain of this Cunard Line ship if the diamond is not found before they arrive in New York.

The subtitle on the cover of my advance copy of The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel says:

The thrilling new Middle Grade Novel

AND I totally agree.  This story is thrilling!  And it is a perfect book to put into the hands of young readers aged 10+. Add this book to your personal or library shopping list - it is due to be released on 23rd February, 2021. I am going to make an early prediction that this book will be added to the CBCA 2022 Notables and from that list onto the Younger Readers Short list. YES it is that good. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my Advance copy.

The other aspect of this book that I really appreciate is the rich vocabulary used by Nicki Greenberg. For example - indecorous; languishing; exclusive; tactful; viscous; quizzical; and apoplectic.

My copy of this book was an advance one so I am not supposed to do text quotes but I can't resist sharing the description of this scrumptious dessert served on the first night at sea especially since it involves a lighthouse:

"There were wonderful individual gateaux shaped like tugboats. Spun sugar blossomed from their chocolate funnels, and each was bobbing on a layered wave of raspberry mousse and pearly meringue. A sparkling croquembouche lighthouse was presented to each table, and bowls piled high with whipped cream and dishes of perfect strawberries were offered alongside."

Pepper's governess relies on a book called The Lady's guide to Ocean Travel. Nicki Greenberg used a real book called Ocean Notes and Foreign travel for Ladies by Kate Reid Ladoux published in 1878 as her inspiration.

Here are the pages from the Table of Contents from the original book:

One more thing. I have a personal connection with ocean travel albeit a little later in history and not as a first class passenger, my late mother (coincidentally named Nora) travelled by herself in 1948 just after WWII on an ocean liner to England. Reading The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel I kept imagining her in the background of many scenes.

I would pair this book with The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow and Pearl in the Ice.

The real boat by Marina Aromshtam illustrated by Victoria Semykina

Lyrically told and with illustrations that are arresting and demand exploration for their artistry and technique, this modern fable is a thoroughly rewarding read. Red Reading Hub

Some picture books just astonish me.  I sigh with happiness at the beautiful story and exquisite illustrations we can share with our children.  Books about ocean travel, ships and under sea locations are always popular in my school which is located near a beach.

The Little Boat by Kathy Henderson has been a favourite of mine for a long time and now I have found The Real Boat and together these will make a perfect pair.

"The pond seemed very big and deep to the little boat."

But then he talks with a frog and a duck.

"Real boats sail on the ocean. I want to sail there too ..."

And so the journey begins.  The little origami boat sails along the stream and into a wider stream where he meets an old row boat. The stream joins other streams and eventually the paper boat is in a river.  There he sees a motor boat and a riverboat, a barge and a tug boat.  The tug shows him the way to the harbor where there are passenger liners, container ships and lots of seagulls.  Tall cranes are loading the shipping containers and one even contains two giraffes. He sees a car ferry and a huge passenger liner which "shone like an enchanted city."

After a long day and a long journey the little paper boat falls asleep and so he misses the departure of the ocean liner.  A fish trawler offers to show him the way to the ocean but disaster arrives in the form of a huge thunder storm.  "The paper boat was now completely filled with water, and he had started to sink."  Will the little paper boat ever be found?  Where will this journey end?

Take some time to look at the art of Victoria Semykina - it is wonderful.  She is a Russian illustrator who lives in Italy.  You can see more pages from this book and a little film here.

The Real Boat was originally written in Russian.  It always makes me happy when I see books from around the world making the journey into English and then arriving here in Australia.  This is a longer format picture book which you should explore slowly.  This book would make a beautiful gift for a young boat enthusiast and together you might be inspired to make a sail your own little origami boats.

To hope and back by Kathy Kacer

I almost did not want to read this book.  It caught my eye because it had been placed in the Fiction section of our library when it really belongs in Non Fiction. I did not know anything about this ship the St Louis which traveled from Germany just prior to World War II expecting to take over 900 passengers to the safety of Cuba but instead being turned away on arrival because of the power of the German propaganda campaign against the Jews.

Lisa and Sol are two real children who traveled on this voyage with their parents.  The two never meet because Lisa is travelling first class and Sol is in third.  I confess I did jump to the end just to be sure they both survived this frightening voyage which is described in alternating chapters between Lisa, Sol and the Captain of the ship - a man of great compassion and heroism.

The quote below will take you to a full description of the plot.

This is a book for senior students. It links well with some other books we explore towards the end of the year - Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti, Let the celebrations begin by Margaret Wild and The story of Anne Frank retold by Josephine Poole.

 ... this is a tragic story about an historical event that deserves to be told, and which should provoke thoughtful discussion about a difficult subject