When I read about this book in Horn Book, I immediately ordered it. First off, these stories are adorable. Sergio Ruzzier has taken such simple moments – a ride in a rowboat, sharing a cake, watching the sunrise and made them into stories about friendship. The stories are funny and endearing without smacking kids over the head with a theme.
When I read The Quiet Boat Ride to kindergartners, one student yelled, “Wait! Turn back to the beginning.” At first, I wasn’t sure what page he meant, but he certainly knew. He turned right to the table of contents.
“See. I knew there were going to be sea monsters in this story. Look at this picture.”
This child connected those pictures across the page to support his idea. Now, no one in the class stopped to ponder whether or not there were sea monsters in the pond. I’ll save that question for the next time they read the book.
If you are looking for some short texts to use during small group instruction, want a book that pushes students to infer the more significant ideas, or want to introduce students to how to read graphic novels, don’t miss this one.
Happy Reading, Everyone.
