Set in colonial England, it follows the adventures of a young boy who one day does an extraordinary thing: he catches a baby falling out of a window -- in his hat.
The baby's mother gives him half a crown for his good deed, which changes his fortunes forever.
There's a delightful twist at the end, too.
And did I mention the wonderful illustrations?
My children sat wide-eyed while I read this book. They loved the pirate-fighting scene. My son learned what cabin boys were and details about the English navy. My daughters delighted in the romance. They loved guessing the twist at the end right before it happened.
Beautiful story! We borrowed this one from our library. I'll probably keep renewing it until the system won't let me anymore, and then order my own copy. Er, I mean, a copy for my children....
Amy,
ReplyDeleteWas it published by a US publishing house or an English one? Curious...
Sharon, I checked. It's Candlewick Press, out of Massechusetts. It came out in 2008, so it's relatively new. :)
ReplyDeleteAmy
Though, upon further inspection, both the author and illustrator reside in the UK, so.... Maybe it was originally published in England. It does say "First US edition"....
ReplyDeleteAmy
Here is a delightful fairy tale, Instructions, written and read by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess. I think you and your little ones will like it.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to watch :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWRvqO1MjIs
Roland
Yep, it definitely sounds (and looks) delightful.
ReplyDelete