Nina Laden’s lyrical narrative—consisting mostly of swift, succinct two-word phrases—reads like a dream. A sea dream. You’ve never seen skies these colors, lines so emotional and scenes so otherworldly. Melissa Castrillon’s palette is mythical and so strangely fantastic but at the same time it exudes a certain warmth and familiarity.
In this story, a boy and his giraffe best friend sail off on an adventure which takes them through a pounding squall which they bravely face, and later has them exploring life in the deep of the sea before they reach the rosy-skied docks of home. Actually if this book is a dream, we’re not sure we want it to end. Probably one of the best books we’ll read this year.
Yellow Kayak was written by Nina Laden, illustrated by Melissa Castrillon and published by Paula Wiseman Books.