Cargo

by Adèle Tariel, Jérôme Peyrat (Illustrator)

Overview

Tonight I am a bird. A seagull.

A young child is tucked away in bed safe at home and imagines they are a seagull flying high above the ocean and watching over their father, the captain of a cargo ship, while he is away at sea. Tonight, they will journey across the sea to a faraway port. Through storms and calm, clear skies and fog, the bird will watch over the man until his work is complete and he can return safely home.

With stunning illustrations that capture the immensity of freighters and the vastness of the ocean from a bird's-eye view, Cargo is a wonderful reminder of the connection between parent and child even when separated by great distances.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459833784
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	02/14/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Born in Angers in the Loire Valley of France, Adèle Tariel has devoured books and magazines since she was a child, when she hid them under her duvet to reread after bedtime. A journalist for fourteen years at Playbac Presse, she started writing stories after the birth of her daughter in 2009. She now lives near Paris, France.

A graduate of La HEAR art school in Strasbourg, France, Jérôme Peyrat uses a combination of techniques to create original and hybrid illustrations. He has illustrated numerous books, including On My Mountain, Barry and Melvin, Carnivore and Bertie & Twig. Jérôme lives in Cernay, France.

Editorial Reviews

Told through thoughtful words and bright, bold illustrations from a bird’s-eye view, Cargo is a touching story about how kids watch over their parents just as parents watch over their kids.”

Hakai Magazine

The poetic text and sweeping art capture the grandeur of the ocean and the immense size of the ship...Varied perspectives, textures, and palettes keep readers engaged and highlight the solitude of traveling the ocean as well as the more complex workings of the ship and shore...A dreamlike journey afar and back home.

Kirkus Reviews

Beautifully illustrated…From the cover with its gleaming moon shining as the O of Cargo to that final hug between father and child, this vivid book celebrates the closeness of family, even when separated by distance. Recommended for bedtime stories.”

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

2023-03-29
A sea gull keeps watch over the voyage of a cargo ship and the man who helms it.

This serene book begins with a child asleep in the dark of night, a sea gull flying out the window. “Tonight I am a bird. A seagull.” The bird glides over the water, finding a massive ship loaded with a colorful patchwork of cargo containers in the dark waters and a tiny solitary figure pulling a rolling suitcase toward the ship. It is this man, the captain, who holds the sea gull’s interest as the boat begins its journey. The poetic text and sweeping art capture the grandeur of the ocean and the immense size of the ship. Eventually the ship arrives at its destination, a beautiful city nestled in mountains, and “arms of steel reach out to move the containers.” The bustle of activity is not pictured, only the man leaning on a rail and looking out at the ocean. Varied perspectives, textures, and palettes keep readers engaged and highlight the solitude of traveling the ocean as well as the more complex workings of the ship and shore. But the spare use of color and weight when the man finally arrives home with a big hug for the child dims the emotional climax somewhat. Both man and child have paper white skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A dreamlike journey afar and back home. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews