Synopses & Reviews
As a mother tucks her young child into bed, she sings him a dreamy story of a sailor on his way home from the sea. It's a song of the ocean, but also of a wood, a field, and even a snug little country house. Luminous nighttime illustrations depict the sailor's journey from ocean to wood to field until he arrives at the very same bedroom where the child is waiting. The lilting rhythm of a mother's song and her child's response, coupled with Stefano Vitale's distinctive oil paintings on wood, creates a magical book perfect for bedtime.
Review
"small gem of a picture book...The idea seems simple, but the interplay between text and pictures is adroit and simply beautiful."
Review
"small gem of a picture book...The idea seems simple, but the interplay between text and pictures is adroit and simply beautiful." Horn Book Guide
A modest lullaby sung by a mother to her child at bedtime, telling of a fisherman returning home after a long sojourn at sea. His boat doesn't just sail into harbor; it floats through forests and over fields, climbs stony paths, and soars across the night sky. When the sailor comes through the door, it's clear he's returning to the family, evoked from the mists by the mother's singing. Vitale's artwork on wood characteristically fuses various styles for images of the little family at home and the seafarer on his journey.
Kirkus Reviews