There Was an Old Sailor

There Was an Old Sailor
By Claire Saxby
Illustrated by Cassandra Allen
Kids Can Press, 2014
Reviewed from NetGalley
Audience:  Preschool to Grade 2
ISBN:  9781771380225
Publication Date:  March 1, 2014

Out on the open sea, an old sailor is up to something.  First a krill, then a jellyfish, fish, ray, seal, shark and even a whale, down it all goes until, BURP!  Like all big fish stories (pun intended) this one is completely ridiculous and the illustrations will have readers laughing.  I even let out an involuntary "whoa!" when he swallowed the shark.  

I can imagine this being a big hit at story time, whether it's a full series of "There was an old (blank) who swallowed a (blank)" books, or a series of ocean/fishermen/sailing stories.  What I love most about this type of tale is how it plays to the audience.  It's a great opportunity to ask the children if the sailor should really be swallowing these things.  I also read that repetition faster and faster as it gets longer, only adding to the excitement.  There are some spots where the rhyme doesn't quite work for me, but that's where story teller's license comes into play-just change it to something that does flow.  

The illustrations completely make up for any hiccups in the text.  Seeing those end papers with the beautifully swirling water makes me want to design a sailing room in my house.  Or move to a quaint cottage on the coast, where it's always July.

This is a good addition to similar books with building rhymes, and the illustrations make it something really special.

Happy Reading!