Old Wood Boat

A quiet start to this creation by McClure (What Will These Hands Make?) gives little hint of the adventure to come. Old Wood Boat, up on drydock cradles in a yard, “remembers islands and a sea of green.” But blackberries twine over the deck, raccoons move in, “and still she waits, softening, oldening.” Then a family arrives—one member shakes the elderly boat owner’s hand—and the trio of seeming adults (all characters have paper-white skin) set about bringing Old Wood Boat back to life. McClure’s striking cut-paper illustrations capture the three as they “scrape and scrub,” mending sails while raindrops pelt down outside, then “sand and varnish her until she shines.” Even the triumph of a successful launch is just one peak in the story’s driving arc. Now the family sails on, encountering the sweep of the ocean and its wildlife—and engaging with the secrets of the boat, too, revealed in an intricate cross-section. McClure uses the language of the sea lyrically (“Old Wood Boat gains speed with the ebb/ and rides the swells with ease”), evoking an unforgettable sense of freedom yielded by wind, salt air, and spray. Back matter includes a glossary and author’s note. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)