  | Swashby and the sea Author: Ferry, Beth | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
No-nonsense Captain Swashby is used to the sea meeting all of his needs and when, after his retirement, new neighbors disturb his solitary life, the sea helps in just the right way.
| Illustrator: | Martinez-Neal, Juana |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 3.40 Points: .5 Quiz: 510127 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (02/15/20)
Booklist (+) (03/01/20)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (+) (00/05/20)
The Hornbook (00/09/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 03/01/2020 *Starred Review* Captain Swashby retires to a little seaside house, enjoying the serenity until a lively little girl and her amiable granny move in next door. Suddenly grumpy, Swashby hides when they ring the doorbell and feeds their gift of cookies to the gulls. He even writes a message in the wet sand: NO TRESPASSING. But the sea fiddles with it, erasing a few letters. The girl reads only “SING,” and so she does. After he writes “PLEASE GO AWAY,” the sea fiddles again, leaving PL–AY for the girl to read, and so she does. But when the sea carries the child away from the shore, Swashby dives in, brings her back, and, upon reflection, forges a friendship with his new neighbors. The illustrator of the Caldecott Honor–winning Alma and How She Got Her Name (2018), Martinez-Neal uses acrylics, colored pencils, and graphite to create pictures that capture the feel of the seaside, as well as the protagonist’s shifting emotions. Telling a story with imagination and wit, Ferry creates a cantankerous but lovable character in Captain Swashby and a mysterious, well-intentioned, mischievous one in the sea, which transforms the captain’s final message, “THANK YE, FRIEND,” into “THE END.” It's a fitting conclusion to an exceptionally satisfying picture book. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
