Little Rat Sets Sail

Rating:
Summary: No wonder she's scared of the water!
Review: Ever summer parents have to find something for their kids to do besides hang out around the house all day and the same is true for Little Rat's parents. They have signed Little Rat up for sailing lessons, despite the fact that she is terrified of the water. Little Rat is cared of falling in, even with her life jacket on, but then on the first day of class she discovers her life jacket is gray (with a big red stripe on it) while everybody else has neat yellow-and-orange zip-up life jackets. So what is Little Rat to do when she is a fraidy cat and looks like a dork?

"Little Rat Sets Sail" is written by Monika Bang-Campbell, who worked on traditionally rigged sailing vessels for several years after graduating college, and illustrated by her mother Molly Bang, who sold her tiny sailboat because she got too cold when she sailed. This charming chapter book has fun with Little Rat's fears of sailing, but also takes them seriously as we see how she learns to overcome those fears as she learns the basics of sailing from Buzzy Bear. Even more impressive is how the book actually shows some of the important things young kids learn about sailing. There is even a detailed drawing of a sailing boat pointing out all the key parts the book talks about, like the main halyard and the jib sheet.

"Little Rat Sets Sail" promises to be the first in a new series of adventures starring the irrepressible Little Rat. The illustrations are done in pencil, gouache, and watercolor, with some charcoal and chalk dust, on illustration board, which make Little Rat and her friends stand out from the sailing boats and other objects. It will be interesting to see what happens next and what else Bang-Campbell has done in her life besides sailing, but this is certainly a nice little start. I look forward to which of life's travails Little Rat faces next.

Rating:
Summary: The fearful Little Rat is signed up for sailing lessons
Review: Ever summer parents have to find something for their kids to do besides hang out around the house all day and the same is true for Little Rat's parents. They have signed Little Rat up for sailing lessons, despite the fact that she is terrified of the water. Little Rat is cared of falling in, even with her life jacket on, but then on the first day of class she discovers her life jacket is gray (with a big red stripe on it) while everybody else has neat yellow-and-orange zip-up life jackets. So what is Little Rat to do when she is a fraidy cat and looks like a dork?

"Little Rat Sets Sail" is written by Monika Bang-Campbell, who worked on traditionally rigged sailing vessels for several years after graduating college, and illustrated by her mother Molly Bang, who sold her tiny sailboat because she got too cold when she sailed. This charming chapter book has fun with Little Rat's fears of sailing, but also takes them seriously as we see how she learns to overcome those fears as she learns the basics of sailing from Buzzy Bear. Even more impressive is how the book actually shows some of the important things young kids learn about sailing. There is even a detailed drawing of a sailing boat pointing out all the key parts the book talks about, like the main halyard and the jib sheet.

"Little Rat Sets Sail" promises to be the first in a new series of adventures starring the irrepressible Little Rat. The illustrations are done in pencil, gouache, and watercolor, with some charcoal and chalk dust, on illustration board, which make Little Rat and her friends stand out from the sailing boats and other objects. It will be interesting to see what happens next and what else Bang-Campbell has done in her life besides sailing, but this is certainly a nice little start. I look forward to which of life's travails Little Rat faces next.

Rating:
Summary: No wonder she's scared of the water!
Review: Little Rat is charming and her fears and worries will really hit home with many children. However, it really bothers me that Little Rat is out there on a sailboat, and apparently nobody has considered teaching her how to swim!