Boats for Papa
by Jessixa Bagley
Published 2015
Roaring Brook Press
Fiction
40 Pages
Review copy obtained from public library
Goodreads Summary
Buckley and his Mama live in a cozy cabin by the ocean. He loves to carve boats out of the driftwood he finds on the beach nearby.
He makes:
big boats
long boats
short boats and
tall boats,
each one more beautiful than the last, and sends them out to sea. If they don't come back, he knows they've found their way to his papa, whom he misses very much.
In this stunning debut, author/illustrator Jessixa Bagley explores the subtle and deep emotions associated with loss in a heartwarming tale that is sure to stay with the reader long after the book is closed.
My Thoughts
This book made me cry. It is so incredibly sweet and sad and wonderful. Bagley deals with loss gently and never comes out and says where Papa is so the reader must draw his or her own conclusions. I could feel the love between Mama and Buckley radiating off the page. Somehow the author also creates a mood of sadness and I can't quite put my finger on how she does it with such little text.
This debut picture book has earned several starred reviews and much praise. I am eager to read more from Jessixa Bagley.
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