#172 of 1001 · January 19, 2021

Come sail away on the ocean, sail without a care, sail far and wide and free. This is The Maggie B. by Irene Haas. Young Margaret Barnstable looks out her window one night before bed and makes a wish upon a star. She asks for a boat of her very own, named after her and ready to sail for a day’s voyage. When she wakes up, she is already on the ship, and it is indeed named after her: The Maggie B. A little paradise of a vessel it is, for up on the deck is a farm with livestock and a fruit orchard. Best of all, Margaret’s baby brother James is there for company. After chores, cast-net fishing, a picnic lunch, a battering storm, a bath for James, seafood stew for dinner, and fiddle music and lullabies, the magical day is over. Margaret’s nautical adventure grants her access to a subtle blending of child and adult roles: she spends an entire day exploring her rich inner fantasy life while successfully acting in a guardianship role over her younger sibling. Curiously, the story ends with the children still adrift, though the language of the conclusion suggests that they will soon return to their familiar life. Haas crafts an atmosphere of high coziness through verse inspired by nursery rhymes and sea chanteys and her accompanying soft-textured paintings. #ship #boat #ocean #sea #fishing #storm #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks