Synopses & Reviews
A little boy has a toy boat. He made it out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable, until one day when the wind pushes the toy boat out into the wide lake. Alone now, the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat. How the little boat misses the boy! But if he is going to survive, he must figure a way to do it on his own.
Loren Long has a timeless and magical touch. As he did with The Little Engine That Could, he creates a world of toys and children that go right to the soul. Toy Boat will sail into young hearts and stay there.
Praise for TOY BOAT
* "With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal."--Booklist, starred review
"A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly
Review
Lovable Otis the tractor is back for a third adventure, in which he overcomes his fear to help out a new canine friend. Otis and his animal buddies, including the calf and bull from previous titles, play hide-and-seek after working on the farm. With a “one-putt, two-puff, three-puttedy four-chuff,” Otis begins his turn as “it,” which he especially likes. One day, the farmer brings an adorable young pup to the farm, and he immediately wins the hearts of all with his wriggling and wagging and an abundance of wet kisses. But after night falls, the puppy whimpers when he is left alone in his very dark doghouse outside the barn. Otis invites him inside to sleep next to him, and a special friendship forms. The story takes a turn when the puppy, instead of hiding as he is supposed to, gets distracted. In this spread, Long separates the text from what he depicts in the classic-feeling illustrations in gouache and pencil. While the language describes Otis discovering his friends in their silly hiding places—bull is “behind a lone dandelion”—a series of spot images shows the pup following a butterfly until he becomes hopelessly lost in the dark forest. Long contrasts the bright daytime farm scenes with the deepest darks of night to heighten the drama, for Otis must first cope with his own fear of the dark before rescuing his friend. Fans of Otis will not be disappointed with the satisfying ending that results in a creative solution and a most happy reunion. Seek this out—“game on!” --Kirkus Reviews
Review
“It is spring and there is a new puppy on the farm. After Otis rescues the whimpering pooch from the doghouse (and the dark), the two become fast friends. Painterly gouache and pencil illustrations have panoramic views, and stars and headlights shine through the dark of twilight and forest. And that is where the puppy gets lost one evening, after playing hide-and-seek. When the sun sets, and the search party gives up until dawn, Otis confronts his own fear of the dark and forges ahead . . . Older readers will delight in Longs use of idioms, and younger children will appreciate the loyalty of a true friend and understand the terror, not of darkness, but of aloneness. Otis will win readers hearts.”--School Library Journal
Review
Praise for TOY BOAT
* "The streamlined text is straightforward, letting the amazing art do much of the work. Long's acrylic, hyperrealistic pictures, awash with many shades of blue, are so substantial they seem to be molded from clay, and his expansive double-page spreads effectively convey the perspectives and differences in the size between the full-size boats and the boy's beloved toy. A harmonious ending brings the story full circle. With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal."--Booklist, starred review
"A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly
Review
"A story riding on a Thoreau-vian sensibility with a Zen serenity. . . . This story is more than just a tale of sticking to your visionand#8212;it's a small world unto itself. A keeper."
and#8212;Kirkus, starred review
"With spare, gentle text and cozy ink-and-paint illustrations, this picture book is nostalgic in feel and has a simple, timeless message about following one's dreams."
and#8212;Booklist
"A sweet story about the simple happiness that comes from staying true to oneself."
and#8212;School Library Journal
"The gentle, simply worded text and childlike bear will appeal to fans of Minarik's Little Bear series, and the short sentences and uncomplicated vocabulary may put this within range of the easy-reader crowd as well."
and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Synopsis
A stunning holiday book by beloved
Otis creator Loren Long
In this charming Christmas story, a toy drummer boy embarks--accidentally--on a journey on which he plays his drum and warms the hearts of everyone he encounters, from a rat to a snowman. Set against a snowy landscape by the bestselling Loren Long, this is a perfect read for chilly winter evenings. Long brings this story of an unforgettable little drummer boy to vivid life with his timeless and magical art.
Synopsis
Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be "It," finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm—a bounding puppy who can't sit still and has a habit of licking faces—tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There's just one problem: Otis is
also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek.
Synopsis
The New York Times Bestseller!
Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be "It," finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farma bounding puppy who can't sit still and has a habit of licking facestries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There's just one problem: Otis is also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek.
From the critically-acclaimed illustrator of The Little Engine that Could, Of Thee I Sing, and Otis, the 2013 Read for the Record selection.
Synopsis
A little boy has a toy boat that he made out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable . . . until the day the wind pushes the boat out into the wide lake, and the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat if he is to find his way home. From Randall de Seve and bestselling artist Loren Long, creator of the Otis series and illustrator of
The Little Engine That Could, comes a child-friendly adventure sure to inspire imaginative toy play.
Praise for TOY BOAT
* "With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal."--Booklist, starred review
"A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A young, simpleand#160;sequel to Little Bear's Little Boat. Big Bear is building himself a big boat, but when he follows his friends' advice, it all goes wrong. Big Bear learns that it's important to be true to one's dreams, and to one's friends.
Synopsis
Big Bear outgrew his little boat, so heand#160;is building himself a big boat and can't wait till he'sand#160;rowing, fishing, and relaxing in it. When his friends start suggesting improvements, Big Bear obligingly follows their advice. To his dismay, his big boat is turning outand#160;all wrong. It's because he hasn't followed his own dream, and he knows exactly how to fix it. With all the simplicity, warmth, and wisdom of Little Bear's Little Boat, this book honors an important step in growing up.
About the Author
Loren Long grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. He pursued graduate-level studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago after graduating with a BA in Graphic Design/Art Studio from the University of Kentucky. After graduation Long worked as an illustrator for a greeting card company in Cincinnati before beginning his career as a freelance illustrator.
Since then, Long has received numerous accolades for his fluid WPA painting style. He has been awarded two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York, and has been frequently selected for their annual exhibition and book. His work has also appeared in many other major annual exhibitions such as American Illustration, Communication Arts, Step By Step Graphics and Print.
Long’s clients include Time Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Atlantic Monthly, Boy’s Life, Land’s End, Sports Illustrated and HBO. He has also illustrated book covers for numerous publishers and has recently concentrated on illustrating books for young readers where his work has garnered much recognition and praise.
Recent awards/accolades:
2002
The United Nations chose to hang in their lobby Long’s painting of a firefighter in action, along with 21 other selections from the Prevailing Human Spirit Show at the Society of Illustrators.
2003
Recipient of the Golden Kite Award for picture book illustration, presented by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for I Dream of Trains. The book was also selected as one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2003.
2004
Winner of the Parents' Choice Gold Award.
Illustrates New York Times #1 best-seller, Mr. Peabody’s Apples
To learn more about Loren Long and his books, go to www.lorenlong.com
Kids Q&A
Read the Kids' Q&A with Randall de Seve and Loren Long