And Then Came Hope

March 1, 2021

PreS-The boats in the harbor are all feeling under the weather. One is hurt, another has a dripping nose and a cough, and another one has a fever. Is there a doctor in the harbor? There are, and nurses, too, on the good ship Hope, which responds to the others' SOS. Inspired by the true story of the first peacetime hospital ship, which included an operating room, an X-ray room, a pharmacy, a library, and dozens of doctors and nurses, Savage creates a perfect vehicle book for toddlers. The one- to three-line text, in an open design that includes a large black font, is positioned near the corners of the pages, allowing expressive spreads of simple retro boats to clue readers in. The scenes rely on a harmonious mixture of curved lines for the ocean, clouds, and seascapes, with softened geometrical shapes for the anthropomorphized boats. Children will delight in pointing at the characters and participating in the simple plot. VERDICT A great sell for story times with an "ouches" or "boo boo" theme, this title sends a message of kindness and tenderness for almost anyone feeling out of sorts.-Kathia Ibacache, Univ. of Colorado Boulder

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2021
A humanitarian hospital ship figures in a tale of ailing boats and gentle aid. When the ships are sick, nobody's happy. Not Barge, who "got bonked," or Submarine, who has the shakes. Neither are feverish Ferry, coughing Aircraft Carrier, and sniffly, drippy Dory. Who takes care of these ill boats? Why, hospital ship Hope, of course! In a jiffy she treats, comforts, and cares for anyone under the weather. By the time everyone is "shipshape" again, they can rest assured that in the event of another emergency, they'll always be able to rely on Hope. Backmatter includes a note on the real SS Hope, America's first peacetime hospital ship, which spent 14 years traveling the world bringing care and training to other countries. Children fearing hospital visits, doctors, or nurses may find comfort in the book's measured tone. This is reflected not merely in the spare text with its gentle wordplay, but also in the simplicity and style of the digital art. Shapes are cleanly delineated, colors and planes flat. The composition in which Barge suffers her injury is so stylized as to resemble an exercise in the play between positive and negative space. Both text and visuals are so restrained that while the ship-obsessed will love it, it is unlikely that the book will stand up to much rereading among other audiences. A very real ship inspires a very slight story, coasting on some serious sweetness. (Picture book. 3-6)

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Starred review from April 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 *Starred Review* Author-illustrator Savage (Supertruck, 2015), whose accolades include a Geisel Honor Book and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award, here gives readers a compassionate heroine in the form of a hospital ship and a story that is sometimes comical, sometimes exciting, and most of all, comforting. The original Hope, as a note at the end of the book states, was an actual hospital ship (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere), commissioned by President Eisenhower in 1960 to help people around the world. Savage's hospital ship looks like a nurse--facial features are drawn on the bow of the ship, and the rectangular superstructure on top, with the Red Cross symbol in the middle, looks like a nurse's white cap. Hope comes to the aid of a shivering submarine, a feverish ferry, a coughing aircraft carrier, a little rowboat with a drippy nose, and a barge that gets bonked by a spool of wire that fell off a flatbed truck from the bridge above. The digital illustrations carry Savage's trademark simple shapes that put the emphasis on the action. Little readers will be carried along by the bouncy rhythm, the expressive faces of the ships and boats, and the ingenious ways Hope finds to help others in need. Delightful and inspiring.

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