When three bear siblings accidentally break their mother’s beautiful blue seashell, they decide to find a replacement seashell in the hopes that their mother will never know what happened. They set out in a little boat, encountering new people and traveling to new places in search of the elusive blue seashell, but with no luck. Soon a storm hits--both literally and figuratively. The bears turn on each other and the waves start to form. Will they make it home safely?
A lovely story told with lovely words and even lovelier pictures. The bears do make it home, shaken up but safe and humbled. As they arrive, they find a pristine blue seashell. When they get back, Mama bear is waiting. They apologize, offering her the shell, and she sweeps them into a hug. This book is excellent on all fronts. I could tell how much thought Soman put into the telling of the story. Not only did it have a nice flow, but a nice sound (“the little boat sailed out of the storm and into the sun”). He used rich imagery and diction (“their sail flew open like a wing”). He also incorporated humor for children and adults into the story and illustrations (they encounter an Ishmael-like whale-hunting bear). The story itself was quite nice—themes of honesty, contention, family, and love. I liked how although the bears are welcomed home in a big hug and forgiven, they still have to go without dessert. It's a bit long for a picture book—there’s quite a bit of text to read aloud.
And then there are the illustrations! Beautiful!! The fluid watercolor illustrations are at their most impressive in the full-color 2-page spreads. The seascapes are some of the best I've ever seen--whimsical, vivid, and sensory.
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| Beautiful illustrations by David Soman |
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