My Clementine

This picture book biography of a captain and his fictional cargo ship begins with a dramatic spread of the vessel sinking beneath the waves. “They say the captain goes down with his ship,” the captain says. “But this is one journey I won’t be making with her. Not yet.” Now the story circles back to the beginning. Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Innocenti paints the captain as a freckled youth playing with a toy ship, then as an older boy watching as Clementine is built. He signs on and sails with her all over the world: “Pago Pago, Papeete, Panama.” Clementine is a “reefer” whose refrigerated hold carries fresh fruits and other perishable commodities. When war comes, she’s appropriated for transport: “From bright tropical waters, we found ourselves in bitter polar seas.” Innocenti doesn’t talk down to readers, and his crisp, informative paintings don’t romanticize life on the ship. Yet there’s beauty in the leaping dolphins and towering mountains the captain and his crew encounter, and insight into the bond between Clementine and those who know her best. Young fans of big boats will rejoice. A map and detailed diagrams are included. Ages 8–9. (Sept.)