Old Wood Boat

Raise the sails and follow the wind across the green sea in this captivating marriage of lyrical prose and intricate illustrations from a renowned West Coast artist.

Old wood boat remembers the wind. Dilapidated and parted from the sea, she remembers and waits as her mast cracks and blackberry vines creep across her deck. But one day, a family tows her home. Scraped, scrubbed, sanded, and varnished, she is made beautiful and seaworthy again. After libations have been poured out, the family casts off, and old wood boat embarks on adventure once more.

In this love letter to sailing, heralded artist Nikki McClure tells the story of a restored boat in timeless and reverent prose that perfectly accompanies her stunning cut-paper illustrations. At once delicate and bold, each page is masterful, rendered from a single sheet of black paper with precision and care that is sure to enthrall readers from coast to coast.

“Striking. . . 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. --Publishers Weekly Beautiful prose ("scraps from the past hidden in vines") capture the heart of the story. The stunning paper-cut illustrations stand out with their striking images and intricate details. McClure has written a gorgeous homage of sailing and the sea. . . . Repeat readings will be demanded; children will want to take a closer look at the pictures. --School Library Journal This evocative picture book conveys the sights and sounds of sailing through descriptive text and detailed cut-paper illustrations. . . . . The movement of the water, wind, and sails is captured in the flowing illustrations. Changing perspectives give the story visual drama. --Booklist 'Old Wood Boat' is that magical combination of a captivating story and stunning illustration that makes it a book you'll be happy to read to a young listener over and over again . . . . Some books are so delightful that you find a reader for them. 'Old Wood Boat' is one that will have you looking for a young sailor to give it to, and they'll thank you for it 20 years from now. --Sailing Magazine”

Nikki McClure’s picture book 'Old Wood Boat' tells a familiar saga of rejuvenation in a striking way. . . . A labeled cross-section of the boat in the middle of the book and a glossary of terms at the end (‘How to Talk Like a Sailor’) add a nice nonfiction touch to this memorable venture.”
—The Wall Street Journal

'Old Wood Boat’ is that magical combination of a captivating story and stunning illustration that makes it a book you’ll be happy to read to a young listener over and over again . . . . Some books are so delightful that you find a reader for them. ‘Old Wood Boat’ is one that will have you looking for a young sailor to give it to, and they’ll thank you for it 20 years from now.
—Sailing Magazine

Sure to be a welcome addition to any nautical family reading nook. . . . Using the colors of sand and sea as a palette, the hardcover book from Candlewick Press is perfect for sharing the magic of boating life with kids 4 to 8 and sure to become a cherished heirloom for generations.
—Northwest Yachting

The prose in this children’s book is imbued with passion and reverence for old boats restored and the memories inherent in them. . . . we all know a picture is worth a thousand words and this has never been more clearly illustrated than in 'Old Wood Boat'.
—Pacific Yachting

Striking. . . 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.

—Publishers Weekly

Beautiful prose (“scraps from the past hidden in vines”) capture the heart of the story. The stunning paper-cut illustrations stand out with their striking images and intricate details. McClure has written a gorgeous homage of sailing and the sea. . . . Repeat readings will be demanded; children will want to take a closer look at the pictures.
—School Library Journal

This evocative picture book conveys the sights and sounds of sailing through descriptive text and detailed cut-paper illustrations. . . . . The movement of the water, wind, and sails is captured in the flowing illustrations. Changing perspectives give the story visual drama.
—Booklist

Nikki McClure is a self-taught cut-paper artist. She is also the author and illustrator of numerous children’s books and is renowned for her annual calendars. A proud denizen of the Pacific Northwest, she has worked within the Olympia music scene, including the riot grrrl movement, and has had her art exhibited internationally. She lives in Olympia, Washington.

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