Irene Haas

It is a great realistic fiction book in watercolors because it tells a story that could happen in the real life and it makes readers think. The story goes like this: A little girl’s wish to sail for a day on a boat named for her "with someone nice for company" comes true. Maggie’s little brother is that “someone nice” and the two of them spend the day on their little boat living the sea life. The boat is fully equipped with an apple, peach and orange tree bearing fruit. There is an abundance of fresh eggs and milk to be had from various chickens and the goat. Maggie herself fishes and serves up sumptuous meals of lobster and peaches with cinnamon and honey for dessert. The day is simple and homey, the only real source of concern a thunderstorm that crashes and booms towards the end of the day. Even then, Maggie thoughtfully battens down the hatches and plays her fiddle to her brother, tucked snugly in his bed.… (mer)

Great book to introduce word formation and using words in artistic ways to help a story move along. This book centers its paragraphs and colors the first letter in red. It's a good seasonal book as the pictures display the feel of winter beautifully. It also gives information about birds and their migration patterns. Great foreshadowing with picture above the text. Bases itself around names of things and numbers - like the 12 Days of Christmas song.

Characters help each other through the lonely feeling of winter. In the end, the main character is not alone and warmed by the company of the bird.… (mer)

Margaret Barnstable goes to bed one night wishing for a sailing ship, and a day of adventure to be shared with nice company, and wakes up the next morning to find herself on board the Maggie B - a boat with a nice snug cabin, and a farm on the poop deck - together with her baby brother James. A day of calm pleasure follows, as Maggie cares for her brother, prepares their meal - a process involving everything from fishing to cooking - and weathers a storm inside their cozy cabin...

Like the friend who recommended it (thanks, Miriam!), I'm a little hard-pressed to say just why I find The Maggie B so appealing, although appealing it certainly is! The narrative isn't particularly exciting, and I have difficulty imagining that, with a magical ship at my disposal, I'd want to spend the day cooking and child-minding (color me un-domestic, but what about exploring?), but the gentle unfolding of Maggie's day still appealed to me, for all that. I suspect that Haas' delightful illustrations, which alternate between black-and-white and glorious color, have something to do with it...… (mer)