mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
Harvey and McFerrin's collaboration invite us to follow the boats of San Francisco Bay as they 'rock and slog and sail and parade' the waters 'from daybreak to night'. Presented in a landscape format in order to make the most of the sprawling coastline, Harvery's sparse, sometimes poetic text compliment the double-page bleeds of McFerrin who uses a mixed-media of ink, watercolour and collage to capture the fleet of vessels that pass by.
Each page introduces a different boat and I liked the fact that the focus is drawn away from the people and more to the vessels themselves. The whole book has a very retro feel to it and I particularly loved the double-gatefold fireworks display as well as the lobster buoys on the endpapers and gorgeous design beneath the hardback's jacket.
I wasn't sure about the narrative. It felt at times that Harvey wanted to rhyme and to find a rhythm that complimented the mood and movement of ships: 'A tall ship takes a trip to the sea' but sometimes it was internal rhyming and sometimes there was none at all. I'd like to know more about these choices. I'd like to read [b:Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines|28362008|Maya Lin Artist-Architect of Light and Lines|Jeanne Walker Harvey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490938673s/28362008.jpg|48432407]
Each page introduces a different boat and I liked the fact that the focus is drawn away from the people and more to the vessels themselves. The whole book has a very retro feel to it and I particularly loved the double-gatefold fireworks display as well as the lobster buoys on the endpapers and gorgeous design beneath the hardback's jacket.
I wasn't sure about the narrative. It felt at times that Harvey wanted to rhyme and to find a rhythm that complimented the mood and movement of ships: 'A tall ship takes a trip to the sea' but sometimes it was internal rhyming and sometimes there was none at all. I'd like to know more about these choices. I'd like to read [b:Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines|28362008|Maya Lin Artist-Architect of Light and Lines|Jeanne Walker Harvey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490938673s/28362008.jpg|48432407]
alysona's review against another edition
4.0
Who doesn't love an open out page with a full city view AND fireworks!
katiekot81's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! Simple text that almost rolls off the tongue like a wave is brought to life by wonderfully vivid illustrations. It's a great way to introduce different kinds of boats and also lots of different verbs of motion.
emeelee's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting and beautiful illustrations, but not much of a story.
eb_bartels's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Olympia Alston for this excellent recommendation!
kristinajean's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Lovely watercolor illustrations with great textures.
The text is a jumbled list of boats with some descriptors that rhyme and some that don't, making the narrative non existent.
Lovely watercolor illustrations with great textures.
The text is a jumbled list of boats with some descriptors that rhyme and some that don't, making the narrative non existent.
himissjulie's review against another edition
If you love boats, belly up to this book! If you love wordplay, hop aboard. Lots of internal rhymes and alliteration ("Boats on the bay get ready for the day"; "A sailboat sets sail") combined with a layered, line driven art style makes this a perfect title to pore over and maybe even use in a language arts class.
ursulamonarch's review
3.0
Pretty pictures, very basic text. We enjoyed the SF Bay element, but otherwise it didn't stand out too much for us.
kpasteka's review
5.0
After reading the 3 dozen boat books that follow us home from the library (the ability to search my library catalog and request books for pickup from the comfort of my work computer is a blessing and a curse) I have learned that the tugboat story reigns supreme and the Northeast is the default setting for the genre. So it was a nice surprise to open up Boats on the Bay to find colorful ships moving about San Francisco Bay in this deceptively simply story. We follow the maritime traffic on the bay over the course of a (special) day but the illustrative style and inclusion of some unique ships set this book apart from the pack.
I like that the author chose to have the fireboat spraying water into the air rather than fighting a ship fire because my memories of fireboats are of them doing just that as they ushered Navy ships into slips for the Rose Festival or as they were leading the annual Regatta parade. The inclusion of the fireworks barge was another scene that provoked a lot of memories for me and is not something I've seen included in other boat books. The story also comes full circle by beginning and ending the book at the houseboats providing a satisfying ending.
I like that the author chose to have the fireboat spraying water into the air rather than fighting a ship fire because my memories of fireboats are of them doing just that as they ushered Navy ships into slips for the Rose Festival or as they were leading the annual Regatta parade. The inclusion of the fireworks barge was another scene that provoked a lot of memories for me and is not something I've seen included in other boat books. The story also comes full circle by beginning and ending the book at the houseboats providing a satisfying ending.