And Then Came Hope

The harbor boats are in need of a little TLC: "First Barge got bonked," writes Savage (Sign Off), as readers see a cable coil drop off a mid-bridge truck and hit Barge's deck with owie-making force. Then the other boats get sick, including little Dory, who looks miserable with a runny nose. Aircraft Carrier's planes send out a skywritten SOS, and into the harbor steams the hospital ship HOPE (inspired, as a detailed afterword notes, by a real-life ship) and her tugboat team. "I'm here to help," she says, distributing ship-appropriate first aid (croupy Aircraft Carrier gets cough medicine). Once again "shipshape," the boats get back to work, "but they knew if they ever got sick again... Hope would always be there." Savage's digital artwork combines the clean lines and smooth colors of vector art with a boatload of expressiveness--it's impossible to look at that single drip on Dory's nose without being touched by fellow-feeling. HOPE may face no obstacles in reaching her patients, which are immediately improved by her presence, but this story's power is in the reassurance that a source of comfort and caring is never far away. Ages 3-6. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (May)

PreS--The boats in the harbor are all feeling under the weather. One is hurt, another has a dripping nose and a cough, and another one has a fever. Is there a doctor in the harbor? There are, and nurses, too, on the good ship Hope, which responds to the others' SOS. Inspired by the true story of the first peacetime hospital ship, which included an operating room, an X-ray room, a pharmacy, a library, and dozens of doctors and nurses, Savage creates a perfect vehicle book for toddlers. The one- to three-line text, in an open design that includes a large black font, is positioned near the corners of the pages, allowing expressive spreads of simple retro boats to clue readers in. The scenes rely on a harmonious mixture of curved lines for the ocean, clouds, and seascapes, with softened geometrical shapes for the anthropomorphized boats. Children will delight in pointing at the characters and participating in the simple plot. VERDICT A great sell for story times with an "ouches" or "boo boo" theme, this title sends a message of kindness and tenderness for almost anyone feeling out of sorts.--Kathia Ibacache, Univ. of Colorado Boulder