Zoe's Boat

by Gillian McClure

Zoe lives by the river with her Dear Old Dog. Seeing all the boats go by makes Zoe want to go to sea. But there's a lot to do before she can leave and Dog isn't sure he wants to go with her. So Zoe goes alone, leaving her dog behind. But when she gets into trouble, guess who is there to come to her rescue? A picture book in graphic novel format with a read-aloud text.

30 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Gillian McClure’s career as an author and illustrator spans four decades. She has been Highly Commended in the Kate Greenaway Medal and won the US Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Books. Her books have been translated into many different languages.
Gillian has served on the CWIG committee, the Public Lending Right Advisory Committee, served as a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the universities of Kent and Essex, and has mentored emerging authors on the Escalator scheme. From 2010 - 2016 she also ran her own publishing company, Plaister Press, to celebrate the art of the picture book.

Reviews

[Star Gater · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Rosen Publishing, Windmill Books for accepting my request to read and review Zoe's Boat.

Published: 01/01/23

Whimsical illustrations aid in diluting the seriousness of the story. I'm assuming from an artistry standpoint the style and colors soften the eye and brain. The prospects of a 7-year-old taking a boat down a river to a sea for a time frame that allows seeds to grow requires parental guidance and more imagination than I have.

I found the story between Zoe and her dog realistic. Love for a pet can be convenient love. Friendship with a loved pet can be forgiving.

Overall, the story was not one I would select; I see more questions than answers given the target age of 3 and up.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 1 out of 5]

A pointless story, to be honest. The characters' friendship might be heartwarming, but I'm not a fan of the message that the book sends out i.e. stay put, let the fear of the unknown stop you, return to square one, etc. I understand what the author was trying to convey but the book just falls flat for me. Despite its beautiful colours, the book is also poorly designed as the text does not stand out and is hard to read. Not something I would recommend at all.

Thank you to Rosen Publishing for the Netgalley Arc.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a little girl sets off in her boat, down the river to sea, her dog isn’t keen to go with her but he follows and bravely comes to her rescue when her boat is hit by a wave. This is a story about a friendship that survives a lot of ups and downs. The illustrations are done in comic frames with a lot of detail adding to the story.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Children's book that I read to my twin boys. I really loved the pictures in this book. I am really sad that I felt that this book was poorly written. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my son’s favourite bedtime story. The illustrations are beautiful.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book about friendship,showing how helpful it can be during hard times.The images were gorgeous,the vocabulary was pretty clear and perfect for a child.Totally recommend <3