Ocean Meets Sky

by Terry Fan, Eric Fan, Terry Fan (Illustrator), Eric Fan (Illustrator)

Overview

“Young readers will be captivated.” —The Washington Post

From the creators of the gorgeous bestseller The Night Gardener comes a stunning new picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about...the spot where the ocean meets the sky.

It’s a good day for sailing.

Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.

Finn’s grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself!

And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he’ll find something he didn’t know he was looking for.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481470377
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	05/15/2018
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	123,688
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Terry Fan received his formal art training at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, using ink or graphite mixed with digital. He spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits, and prints. Terry is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Eric Fan is an artist and writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, he attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration, sculpture, and film. He has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. Eric is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Terry Fan received his formal art training at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, using ink or graphite mixed with digital. He spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits, and prints. Terry is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Eric Fan is an artist and writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, he attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration, sculpture, and film. He has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. Eric is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/26/2018
Young Finn’s grandfather, when he was alive, had a white pointed beard that made him look like a sage. He told Finn stories about “a place far away where ocean meets sky.” Now, to celebrate the day his grandfather would have been 90, Finn creates a boat out of wood scraps, then drifts off to sleep inside it. In a dream, a great, mustachioed golden carp appears to help Finn find the place his grandfather described: “It’s up and down and very far.” Finn sails through nautical fancies that attentive readers will recognize as curiosities from his grandfather’s study, at last reaching a starry, light-filled paradise where schooners, hot-air balloons, dirigibles, a blue whale, and even the Titanic all sail serenely for eternity—and the full moon contains the smiling face of his grandfather. Meticulous draftsmanship by the Fan brothers (The Night Gardener) gives the spreads genuine majesty; Finn’s tiny craft is barely visible among the great vessels. The artists imagine not a general, one-size-fits-all afterlife, but one that Finn and his grandfather share—and one that readers will feel privileged to share with them. Ages 4–8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (May)

Publishers Weekly

*** "A stunning, dreamlike voyage into the heart of a child."
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*** "Mystical, magical, magnetic."
- School Library Journal, starred review

*** "Exquisite."
- Booklist, starred review

*** "Meticulous draftsmanship by the Fan brothers (The Night Gardener) gives the spreads genuine majesty...the artists imagine not a general, one-size-fits-all afterlife, but one that Finn and his grandfather share—and one that readers will feel privileged to share with them."
- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[A] lovely book about grief and imagination...filled with sumptuous illustrations."
- The Wall Street Journal

"Young readers will be captivated."
- The Washington Post

"The book's lovely, muted illustrations depict a world of melancholy magic."
- The New York Times

From the Publisher

Magical.

March 1, 2018 - Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*

★ 03/01/2018
PreS-Gr 3—The Fan brothers' elegant illustrations and understated yet emotion-packed storytelling create a picture book that is at once mystical, magical, and magnetic. Finn, a boy of Asian descent who lives by the sea, remembers the stories his grandfather told him about a faraway place "where ocean meets sky." Today would have been Grandpa's 90th birthday, and Finn honors him by building a boat for the journey they had planned together. After cobbling together driftwood, an old tire, window frames, and other discarded materials, he crawls inside the vessel for a short nap. When he awakens, the boat is at sea; but this is no ordinary voyage. A massive golden fish with a mustache and goatee agrees to lead Finn to the destination described in his grandfather's tales. After visiting several amazing locales (including the Library Islands, where "bookish birds" roost and read), the boat lifts skyward ("or had the water fallen away?"). Finn glides through eye-catching spreads filled with wonders from ocean and air (a magnificent mélange of giant whales, submarines, sailing ships, dirigibles, hot air balloons, and more) toward a full moon with a very familiar and much-longed-for face. Summoned home by his mother's call, Finn stands on the seashore, looks to the moon, and acknowledges that "It had been a good day for sailing." Rendered in graphite and colored digitally, the artwork masterfully blends realistic details with soaring flights of fancy. VERDICT This grand adventure stirs imaginations while also celebrating a loving intergenerational relationship and providing comfort and closure after loss. Readers will want to share this affecting title one-on-one, with plenty of time to pore over the gorgeous artwork.—Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

School Library Journal

★ 2018-03-18
A young boy adventures into a fantastical realm, where ocean meets sky and the spirit of his grandfather lives on.Finn, who lives by the sea, remembers his grandpa: his voice, his sayings, his extraordinary stories. To honor him, Finn builds a boat on the beach, creating a wonderful fort out of flotsam and jetsam. While asleep in his creation, the lonely boy dreams of a mustachioed golden fish, which leads him through wondrous surroundings. Whales swim among the stars, and celestial ships intermingle with zeppelins and subs. But it's the fish that must be followed, as it transforms into the moon and reveals itself to be Finn's grandfather, a benevolent Asian face illuminating the child's world. Just as Finn begins to say goodbye, he hears his mother calling him home with the promise of a dumpling supper. Graphite renderings, digitally colored in a cool palette, recall hand-tinted etchings. Dazzling spreads, full of texture and detail, offer much for readers to explore. Inspiration from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and David Wiesner's Flotsam can be seen in both story and art. However, the Fan Brothers' approach to loss, healing, and intergenerational relationships makes this a unique and refreshing offering. A stunning, dreamlike voyage into the heart of a child. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews