We'll All Go Sailing (FIRST FLIGHT EARLY READERS. LEVEL 1)

"'We'll all go sailing/On the great wide seas/My friend Maggee/And Jesse and me.' This bouncy opening line conveys the joyful tone of this picture book for preschoolers. Small hands can open the nine gatefolds that reveal sea creatures and answer the repeated question: 'And what will we see/In the sea, we three?' As in many books for preschoolers, this one includes an array of colours and animals. The sea and the creatures in it are a different colour in every spread. Barracuda, eels, and sea slugs are a sampling of the unusual creatures encountered by the sailors. Strangely, the unconventional spelling "narwhale" is used rather than the more correct "narwhal." Senses are vivid in the descriptions of the 'cold, ' the 'cool, ' and the 'hot' sea. Each learning element is smoothly integrated into this story, which begs to be read again and again. Illustrator Kim LaFave successfully test-drives a new style of art in this latest picture book. Boldly coloured sea creatures with thick, dark outlines lie against a high-contrast background. The trio in the boat resemble figures from Popeye, while many of the other images have the simple feel of the work of the late New York artist Keith Haring, but with lots of added texture. The 'green jellyfish' and the 'bright blue cod' splashed against a canary yellow background in one memorable spread create a fabulous impact. The poem at the end provides the full text on one page for those who want to savour just the words. Clearly, both the illustrations and the writing are solid enough to stand alone, but together, the effect is superb." - STARRED REVIEW, The Quill and Quire

." . . La Fave_s intense colours, with his three Katzenjammer Kids-like picnickers, make this picture book visually lively and an effective tool for talking about colours. Broad black outlines highlight bouncing waves and exotic sea creatures that fairly jump off the page." - Deirdre Baker, The Toronto Star

"_We_ll all go sailing/On the great wide seas --/My friend Maggee/And Jesse and me._ So begins a rollicking tale of adventure at sea featuring three small, cartoonish characters in a red sailboat on an indigo blue sea. Almost eclipsing the sea shanty, though, is the visual and tactile adventure that this picture book offers. _With billowy sails/And a brisk sea breeze--/Sailing, sailing/On the great wide seas._ What next? Well, unfold the page and it extends itself by a third. There_s more blue sea and more song: _We_ll all go sailing/On the deep, blue sea./And what will we see/In the sea, we three?_ Turn the extension over and what do we see? _A pink octopus, /And a purple shark!/That_s what we_ll see/in the deep, blue sea._ An age-appropriate amount of suspense keeps things rolling along nicely to a satisfactory conclusion." - The Globe and Mail

"Colour is a defining feature . . . in the hands of the British Columbia trio of Maggee Spicer, Richard Thompson and Kim LaFave in We_ll All Go Sailing. Authors Spicer and Thompson have crafted a simple adventure that sails through LaFave_s bold and colourful underwater art. Three intrepid sailors launch their boat into the great sea, set on exploring waters of ever-changing hues. Their adventure is varied and marvelous as they discover sea creatures in the bright colours of the rainbow. And when they return from the exciting voyage, they put crayon to paper to recreate their adventure in a book. The bold colours and familiar shapes will delight preschoolers. And it won_t take long for toddlers to get into the rhythm of the repetitive prose - you_ll find very quickly that your child is "reading" to you. This nautical adventure will be a hit with the preschool set, not to mention their parents." - The Hamilton Spectator

"_We'll all go sailing/On the great wide seas/My friend Maggee/And Jesse and me._ This bouncy opening line conveys the joyful tone of this picture book for preschoolers. Small hands can open the nine gatefolds that reveal sea creatures and answer the repeated question: _And what will we see/In the sea, we three?_ As in many books for preschoolers, this one includes an array of colours and animals. The sea and the creatures in it are a different colour in every spread. Barracuda, eels, and sea slugs are a sampling of the unusual creatures encountered by the sailors. Strangely, the unconventional spelling "narwhale" is used rather than the more correct "narwhal." Senses are vivid in the descriptions of the _cold, _ the _cool, _ and the _hot_ sea. Each learning element is smoothly integrated into this story, which begs to be read again and again. Illustrator Kim LaFave successfully test-drives a new style of art in this latest picture book. Boldly coloured sea creatures with thick, dark outlines lie against a high-contrast background. The trio in the boat resemble figures from Popeye, while many of the other images have the simple feel of the work of the late New York artist Keith Haring, but with lots of added texture. The _green jellyfish_ and the _bright blue cod_ splashed against a canary yellow background in one memorable spread create a fabulous impact. The poem at the end provides the full text on one page for those who want to savour just the words. Clearly, both the illustrations and the writing are solid enough to stand alone, but together, the effect is superb." - STARRED REVIEW, The Quill and Quire

"Illustrator Kim LaFave successfully test-drives a new style of art in this latest picture book. Boldly coloured sea creatures with thick, dark outlines lie against a high-contrast background. The trio in the boat resemble figures from Popeye, while many of the other images have the simple feel of the work of the late New York artist Keith Haring, but with lots of added texture. The 'green jellyfish' and the 'bright blue cod' splashed against a canary yellow background in one memorable spread create a fabulous impact. The poem at the end provides the full text on one page for those who want to savour just the words. Clearly, both the illustrations and the writing are solid enough to stand alone, but together, the effect is superb."
-- STARRED REVIEW, "The Quill and Quire"

"A rollicking tale of adventure at sea featuring three small, cartoonish characters in a red sailboat on an indigo blue sea. Almost eclipsing the sea shanty, though, is the visual and tactile adventure that this picture book offers. . . An age-appropriate amount of suspense keeps things rolling along nicely to a satisfactory conclusion."
-- "The Globe and Mail"

." . . La Fave's intense colours, with his three Katzenjammer Kids-like picnickers, make this picture book visually lively and an effective tool for talking about colours. Broad black outlines highlight bouncing waves and exotic sea creatures that fairly jump off the page."
-- "The Toronto Star"

"This well designed picture book introduces both colors and sea animals. . . The repeated pattern of the rhyming text and visual clues that allow children to guess make this book a good book to read aloud. . . The boldly conceived and vividlycolored artwork is visually absorbing, and the jaunty air of the child characters remains charming throughout."
-- "Booklist"

"Colour is a defining feature . . . in the hands of the British Columbia trio of Maggee Spicer, Richard Thompson and Kim LaFave in "We'll All Go Sailing," Authors Spicer and Thompson have crafted a simple adventure that sails through LaFave's bold and colourful underwater art. . . This nautical adventure will be a hit with the preschool set, not to mention their parents."
-- "The Hamilton Spectator"
"Illustrator Kim LaFave successfully test-drives a new style of art in this latest picture book. Boldly coloured sea creatures with thick, dark outlines lie against a high-contrast background. The trio in the boat resemble figures from Popeye, while many of the other images have the simple feel of the work of the late New York artist Keith Haring, but with lots of added texture. The 'green jellyfish' and the 'bright blue cod' splashed against a canary yellow background in one memorable spread create a fabulous impact. The poem at the end provides the full text on one page for those who want to savour just the words. Clearly, both the illustrations and the writing are solid enough to stand alone, but together, the effect is superb."
-- STARRED REVIEW, "The Quill and Quire"

"A rollicking tale of adventure at sea featuring three small, cartoonish characters in a red sailboat on an indigo blue sea. Almost eclipsing the sea shanty, though, is the visual and tactile adventure that this picture book offers. . . An age-appropriate amount of suspense keeps things rolling along nicely to a satisfactory conclusion."
-- "The Globe and Mail"

." . . La Fave's intense colours, with his three Katzenjammer Kids-like picnickers, make this picture book visually lively and an effective tool for talking about colours. Broad black outlines highlight bouncing waves and exotic sea creatures that fairly jump off the page."
-- "The Toronto Star"

"This well designed picture book introduces both colors and sea animals. . . The repeated pattern of the rhyming text and visual clues that allow children to guess make this book a good book to read aloud. . . The boldly conceived and vividly colored artwork is visually absorbing, and the jaunty air of the child characters remains charming throughout."
-- "Booklist"

"Colour is a defining feature . . . in the hands of the British Columbia trio of Maggee Spicer, Richard Thompson and Kim LaFave in "We'll All Go Sailing." Authors Spicer and Thompson have crafted a simple adventure that sails through LaFave's bold and colourful underwater art. . . This nautical adventure will be a hit with the preschool set, not to mention their parents."
-- "The Hamilton Spectator"
"Illustrator Kim LaFave successfully test-drives a new style of art in this latest picture book. Boldly coloured sea creatures with thick, dark outlines lie against a high-contrast background. The trio in the boat resemble figures from Popeye, while many of the other images have the simple feel of the work of the late New York artist Keith Haring, but with lots of added texture. The 'green jellyfish' and the 'bright blue cod' splashed against a canary yellow background in one memorable spread create a fabulous impact. The poem at the end provides the full text on one page for those who want to savour just the words. Clearly, both the illustrations and the writing are solid enough to stand alone, but together, the effect is superb."
-- STARRED REVIEW, The Quill and Quire

"A rollicking tale of adventure at sea featuring three small, cartoonish characters in a red sailboat on an indigo blue sea. Almost eclipsing the sea shanty, though, is the visual and tactile adventure that this picture book offers. . . An age-appropriate amount of suspense keeps things rolling along nicely to a satisfactory conclusion."
-- The Globe and Mail

." . . La Fave's intense colours, with his three Katzenjammer Kids-like picnickers, make this picture book visually lively and an effective tool for talking about colours. Broad black outlines highlight bouncing waves and exotic sea creatures that fairly jump off the page."
-- The Toronto Star

"This well designed picture book introduces both colors and sea animals. . . The repeated pattern of the rhyming text and visual clues that allow children to guess make this book a good book to read aloud. . . The boldly conceived and vividly colored artwork is visually absorbing, and the jaunty air of the child characters remains charming throughout."
-- Booklist

"Colour is a defining feature . . . in the hands of the British Columbia trio of Maggee Spicer, Richard Thompson and Kim LaFave in We'll All Go Sailing. Authors Spicer and Thompson have crafted a simple adventure that sails through LaFave's bold and colourful underwater art. . . This nautical adventure will be a hit with the preschool set, not to mention their parents."
-- The Hamilton Spectator

As three intrepid sailors explore seas of many different hues, they find a colorful array of sea creatures as well, in a rhyming tale of color and sea life.