Sailing into port with a girth of 40 pages and a cargo of nearly 800 words, The Antlered Ship is one of the most substantive picture books I’ve read in years. It’s long, thoughtful, and patient—and I love it. Could the longer picture book finally be making a comeback?!
This gorgeous, gently philosophical story is about questions without obvious answers, friends who accept each other’s differences, and allowing yourself to ride out life’s storms. It’s a story that takes its time.
The main character, a fox named Marco, asks deep questions—and we’re allowed time and space to hear them. The other characters aboard the antlered ship have different viewpoints, desires, fears, flaws, and approaches to life. Readers are permitted to see and absorb these differences without feeling rushed. There’s a respect here for the characters. They are given enough space to show themselves…and to grow. (Kudos to the publisher, Beach Lane, for allowing this book to be as long as it needed to be.)
I’ve been a “fan” of the Fan brothers (Eric and Terry) since encountering The Night Gardener and of Dashka Slater since making the acquaintance of her friendly, salad-seeking French snail in Escargot. Put their talents together in a book as dreamlike, charming, and deep as The Antlered Ship, and I am a happy reader.
This gorgeous, gently philosophical story is about questions without obvious answers, friends who accept each other’s differences, and allowing yourself to ride out life’s storms. It’s a story that takes its time.
The main character, a fox named Marco, asks deep questions—and we’re allowed time and space to hear them. The other characters aboard the antlered ship have different viewpoints, desires, fears, flaws, and approaches to life. Readers are permitted to see and absorb these differences without feeling rushed. There’s a respect here for the characters. They are given enough space to show themselves…and to grow. (Kudos to the publisher, Beach Lane, for allowing this book to be as long as it needed to be.)
I’ve been a “fan” of the Fan brothers (Eric and Terry) since encountering The Night Gardener and of Dashka Slater since making the acquaintance of her friendly, salad-seeking French snail in Escargot. Put their talents together in a book as dreamlike, charming, and deep as The Antlered Ship, and I am a happy reader.
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