Woodrow at Sea

by Wallace Edwards, Wallace Edwards (Illustrator)

Overview

In this wordless picture book, Woodrow the elephant rows off to find adventure and discovers a mouse marooned at sea. As the two go through many adventures and rescue each other from dangers, they discover that the best thing to find on a journey is a true friend.

Award-winning author-illustrator Wallace Edwards is striking out in a bold, new artistic direction. Woodrow At Sea is a friendship story in the tradition of the great epics, but made accessible to the very young. Loose, energetic illustrations carry the story in this wordless picture book, which is packaged in a sturdy book format with a padded cover, extra-heavy pages, rounded corners, and a reinforced binding.

Little ones will cheer for Woodrow the elephant and his mouse friend while narrating the companions’ tale: a lonely journey; an unlikely encounter; a brave rescue; and a series of adventures, each more exciting than the last.

The story will vary with the imagination of each teller, but in the end everyone will agree on one thing: no matter what you are seeking on your journey, the best treasure you can find is a true friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772780291
Publisher:	Pajama Press Inc.
Publication date:	04/06/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Wallace Edwards is a beloved children’s author and illustrator whose vivid imagination has transformed the world of animals and strange creatures for a generation of children. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, he has won a multitude of awards, including the Governor General’s Award, the Gold Medal from ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, and the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association for Alphabeasts; the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association for Monkey Business; the Canadian Library Association’s Honour for Mixed Beasts; and a Junior Library Guild selection for The Cat’s Pajamas. Wallace lives Yarker, Ontario.

Wallace Edwards is a beloved children’s author and illustrator whose vivid imagination has transformed the world of animals and strange creatures for a generation of children. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, he has won a multitude of awards, including the Governor General’s Award, the Gold Medal from ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, and the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association for Alphabeasts; the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association for Monkey Business; the Canadian Library Association’s Honour for Mixed Beasts; and a Junior Library Guild selection for The Cat’s Pajamas. Wallace lives Yarker, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Woodrow at Sea

2018 IBBY Italia Silent Books Collection fourth edition selection

2018 Kirkus Reviews Best Wordless Picture Books of 2018 selection

2018 Bank Street Book of the Month, August

2018 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens selection

★ STARRED REVIEW "A lively, intelligent variation of full-page illustrations, double-page spreads, and spot vignettes keeps the pace active....A story of adventure and friendship without the boundaries of words, which becomes more personal and satisfying as a consequence."—Kirkus Reviews Starred Review

"This wordless book could also be called a beginning graphic novel...[A] good exemplar to show children how to create a wordless book (using illustrations to tell a story) as well as a fantastic example of a book that allows for elaboration and multiple interpretations by each reader...[A] strong addition to any library."—Resource Links Magazine

"Unquestionably, there is something quite refreshing in this excitingly new creative direction which Edwards has fully embraced in this latest publication....Woodrow at Sea is a fun-filled tale that offers something new with each reread....A beautiful reminder of the joy of a newfound friendship rooted in kindness, Woodrow at Sea is sure to become an instant favourite. Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine

"The characters are likeable in their animation and the 'plot' finds just the right mix of silly and scary....With this book, Edwards is moving in a different direction...embracing simplicity in his drawings...Woodrow at Sea is a delight."—Quill & Quire

"The elephant and the mouse went to sea ... and the rest of the story Woodrow at Sea is up to your interpretation of the cute and colorful watercolor illustrations in this wordless book."—Hakai Magazine

"Wallace Edwards wonderfully captures the adventure of a sea voyage...In vibrant watercolor-and-ink drawings, Edwards tells a delightful story of friendship, peril, teamwork, and song."—Christian Science Monitor

"For a story told with no words, Woodrow at Sea has much to tell. And a lesson in creative thinking and visual literacy would not go amiss here."—CanLit for LittleCanadians

From the Publisher

This wordless book could also be called a beginning graphic novel...[A] good exemplar to show children how to create a wordless book (using illustrations to tell a story) as well as a fantastic example of a book that allows for elaboration and multiple interpretations by each reader...[A] strong addition to any library.

Resource Links

For a story told with no words, Woodrow at Sea has much to tell. And a lesson in creative thinking and visual literacy would not go amiss here.

CanLit for LittleCanadians

The elephant and the mouse went to sea ... and the rest of the story Woodrow at Sea is up to your interpretation of the cute and colorful watercolor illustrations in this wordless book.

Hakai Magazine

The characters are likeable in their animation and the 'plot' finds just the right mix of silly and scary....With this book, Edwards is moving in a different direction...embracing simplicity in his drawings...Woodrow at Sea is a delight.

Quill & Quire

Unquestionably, there is something quite refreshing in this excitingly new creative direction which Edwards has fully embraced in this latest publication....Woodrow at Sea is a fun-filled tale that offers something new with each reread....A beautiful reminder of the joy of a newfound friendship rooted in kindness, Woodrow at Sea is sure to become an instant favourite. Highly Recommended.

CM Magazine

★ 2018-01-13
An anthropomorphized young elephant goes to sea and makes a friend in this wordless picture book.Woodrow, a young elephant dressed in a red T-shirt and gray shorts, paddles off in a small boat from his island home (cleverly steadying his telescope with his trunk). Because Edwards tells the story through the pictures exclusively, readers are left the space to imagine why Woodrow is setting off on his adventure—an invitation that continues throughout the story. After Woodrow rescues a marooned, compass-carrying mouse, the two set off for the mouse's home on a different island. They have adventures, including a stormy rescue of Woodrow by the mouse and friendly sea creatures, and in calmer seas, they sing. The visual literacy here is notably creative. The mouse sings pink notes, Woodrow sings blue notes, and half-pink, half-blue notes extol their duet. Edwards' watercolor-and-ink illustrations are deceptively simple without fancy visual angles or digital effects—but it is this simplicity that creates and supports the story's authentic, heartfelt ingenuousness. A lively, intelligent variation of full-page illustrations, double-page spreads, and spot vignettes keeps the pace active. At the story's end, the mouse is warmly welcomed home, they exchange compass and telescope (binding friendship), and Woodrow travels back to his own family.A story of adventure and friendship without the boundaries of words, which becomes more personal and satisfying as a consequence. (Picture book. 2-8)

Kirkus Reviews