*Starred Review* very day a boy sails his toy boat on the lake. He made it himself from a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and white cloth, and he and the boat are inseparable. One day, a storm forces the boy to let go of the boat's string, and the wind and rain push the boat away, into deep water. The wake of a tugboat pushes it further; the wind blows it out of the way of a giant ferry; and a speedboat tells it to "Move along." It drifts toward a fleet of sailboats, hoping for help, but the spray from a large sloop nearly swamps it. At night, under a yellow moon, the boat drifts, feeling scared and alone, but in the morning it comes across a friendly fishing boat that helps it catch a gentle breeze that blows back toward shoreand to the boy. The streamlined text is straightforward, letting the amazing art do much of the work. Long's acrylic, hyperrealistic pictures, awash with many shades of blue, are so substantial they seem to be molded from clay, and his expansive double-page spreads effectively convey the perspectives and differences in the size between the full-size boats and the boy's beloved toy. A harmonious ending brings the story full circle. With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal. Cummins, Julie
Review
Praise for TOY BOAT
* "The streamlined text is straightforward, letting the amazing art do much of the work. Long's acrylic, hyperrealistic pictures, awash with many shades of blue, are so substantial they seem to be molded from clay, and his expansive double-page spreads effectively convey the perspectives and differences in the size between the full-size boats and the boy's beloved toy. A harmonious ending brings the story full circle. With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal."--Booklist, starred review
"A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Loren Long grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. He pursued graduate-level studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago after graduating with a BA in Graphic Design/Art Studio from the University of Kentucky. After graduation Long worked as an illustrator for a greeting card company in Cincinnati before beginning his career as a freelance illustrator.Since then, Long has received numerous accolades for his fluid WPA painting style. He has been awarded two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York, and has been frequently selected for their annual exhibition and book. His work has also appeared in many other major annual exhibitions such as American Illustration, Communication Arts, Step By Step Graphics and Print.
Long’s clients include Time Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Atlantic Monthly, Boy’s Life, Land’s End, Sports Illustrated and HBO. He has also illustrated book covers for numerous publishers and has recently concentrated on illustrating books for young readers where his work has garnered much recognition and praise.
Recent awards/accolades:
2002
The United Nations chose to hang in their lobby Long’s painting of a firefighter in action, along with 21 other selections from the Prevailing Human Spirit Show at the Society of Illustrators.
2003
Recipient of the Golden Kite Award for picture book illustration, presented by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for I Dream of Trains. The book was also selected as one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2003.
2004
Winner of the Parents' Choice Gold Award.
Illustrates New York Times #1 best-seller, Mr. Peabody’s Apples
To learn more about Loren Long and his books, go to www.lorenlong.com
