And Then Came Hope

by Stephen Savage (Author)

And Then Came Hope
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

When the boats in the harbor are feeling unwell, all they need is Hope to get back in ship shape.

From Geisel Honor Book author and artist Stephen Savage comes a new vehicle book for the very young, sure to provide comfort and reassurance, based on the true story of the S.S. Hope hospital ship!

The boats around the harbor haven't been feeling too well lately. First, Barge got bonked. Then Submarine started shivering. Ferry came down with a fever, little Dory's nose wouldn't stop running, and even mighty Aircraft Carrier had developed a terrible cough! They sent out an S.O.S. for help, and then a ship called Hope came to the rescue. With her team of tugboats at her side, Hope set about tending to the out of sorts boats. With her help, Barge gets a bandage, Submarine is soothed with a blanket, Aircraft Carrier is cured, and little Dory's nose dries up. The boats are feeling fit again, but they know whenever they are feeling sick, Hope will always be there to take care of them.

The brightly-illustrated, kid-friendly picture book includes an essay about the real S.S. Hope and its service in humanitarian aid projects. Perfect for boat lovers of all ages!

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Children fearing hospital visits, doctors, or nurses may find comfort in the book's measured tone. This is reflected not merely in the spare text with its gentle wordplay, but also in the simplicity and style of the digital art. 

ALA/Booklist

Little readers will be carried along by the bouncy rhythm, the expressive faces of the ships and boats, and the ingenious ways Hope finds to help others in need. Delightful and inspiring.

Publishers Weekly

The harbor boats are in need of a little TLC: "First Barge got bonked," writes Savage (Sign Off), as readers see a cable coil drop off a mid-bridge truck and hit Barge's deck with owie-making force. Then the other boats get sick, including little Dory, who looks miserable with a runny nose. Aircraft Carrier's planes send out a skywritten SOS, and into the harbor steams the hospital ship HOPE (inspired, as a detailed afterword notes, by a real-life ship) and her tugboat team. "I'm here to help," she says, distributing ship-appropriate first aid (croupy Aircraft Carrier gets cough medicine). Once again "shipshape," the boats get back to work, "but they knew if they ever got sick again... Hope would always be there." Savage's digital artwork combines the clean lines and smooth colors of vector art with a boatload of expressiveness--it's impossible to look at that single drip on Dory's nose without being touched by fellow-feeling. HOPE may face no obstacles in reaching her patients, which are immediately improved by her presence, but this story's power is in the reassurance that a source of comfort and caring is never far away. Ages 3-6. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (May)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS--The boats in the harbor are all feeling under the weather. One is hurt, another has a dripping nose and a cough, and another one has a fever. Is there a doctor in the harbor? There are, and nurses, too, on the good ship Hope, which responds to the others' SOS. Inspired by the true story of the first peacetime hospital ship, which included an operating room, an X-ray room, a pharmacy, a library, and dozens of doctors and nurses, Savage creates a perfect vehicle book for toddlers. The one- to three-line text, in an open design that includes a large black font, is positioned near the corners of the pages, allowing expressive spreads of simple retro boats to clue readers in. The scenes rely on a harmonious mixture of curved lines for the ocean, clouds, and seascapes, with softened geometrical shapes for the anthropomorphized boats. Children will delight in pointing at the characters and participating in the simple plot. VERDICT A great sell for story times with an "ouches" or "boo boo" theme, this title sends a message of kindness and tenderness for almost anyone feeling out of sorts.--Kathia Ibacache, Univ. of Colorado Boulder

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A wonderfully sweet story about kindness and how we can always help one another.—Chelsea Clinton, author of She Persisted
Stephen Savage
Stephen Savage is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator whose accolades include a New York Times Best Illustrated Book (Polar Bear Night) and a Geisel Honor (Supertruck). Polar Bear Night was a New York Times bestseller. He also wrote and illustrated And Then Came Hope and Babysitter from Another Planet. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823445189
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Neal Porter Books
Publication date
May 04, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV015020 - Juvenile Fiction | Health & Daily Living | Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries
JUV041020 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Boats, Ships, & Underwater Craft
Library of Congress categories
Sick
Picture books
Medical care
Boats and boating
Ships

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!