Wellness On The Water

We are never more grateful for good health than when it is gone.  We wake up day after day, not thinking about how wonderful it is to not have a fever, chills, aches, sniffles, or a cough.  When any of those symptoms strike, we realize our mistake.  We are doubly miserable.

We want to wave a magic wand and be better.  We need help.  And Then Came Hope (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, May 4, 2021) written and illustrated by Stephen Savage offers readers a look at the arrival of help in the form of a very special boat.  This boat, like others who offer assistance to those who need it the most, supplies support, security, and the appropriate cure.

The boats

in the harbor

weren't feeling well.

Barge is the victim of a runaway spool of cable.  Submarine comes to the surface feeling as though it might be at one of the Poles.  Ferry has a high temperature.  Aircraft Carrier has trouble breathing without coughing.

Even the smallest among these boats has problems.  Dory, a tiny sailboat, has the sniffles.  The smile she usually carries is gone.  What are hurting boats supposed to do?  They signal with a big

S O S. 

A large gleaming white boat called Hope, with tugs on either side, glides into the harbor.  In that moment when she announces her intentions to Barge, Submarine, Ferry, Aircraft Carrier and Dory, they know, with a sure sense of calm, they will be fine.

For each ailment, treatment is administered.  Four boats sail from the harbor.  One stays; the last to get care.  Dory may be small, but she is given a reminder, a token, of the truest definition of hope.

The words in this book written by Stephen Savage indicate his knowledge of his intended audience.  They also show his skill as a wordsmith, reaching out to a much broader readership through symbolism.  The verbs (illnesses and healing) attached to each vessel are alliterative providing a rhythm to the narrative.  Like the best of stories, the final two sentences give readers exactly what they need.  Here is another sentence.

Then Submarine started shivering.

Complementary colors, golden yellow and pale orange and purple and lavender, fill the rays extending from Hope on the front and the back of the matching and open dust jacket and book case.  The expression on Hope's face is one of compassion as she enters the harbor on the front.  As she heads out to sea, on the back of the jacket and case, her stern to us, her look is one of happy determination.  

On the first page of the opening endpapers and the last page of the closing endpapers is a pale blue sky with seven seagulls grouped together in flight.  Stephen Savage makes use of every single page with the title page opposite the first set and an author's note opposite the closing set.  On the title page, Hope is heading out to sea about to go under the large suspension bridge.  Other smaller boats cross the ripples of blue-hued water.  A large half sun sits on the horizon with a lighter blue and lavender sky around and above it.

Each double-page picture rendered

using digital techniques

invites readers into the story.  We are first greeted with a panoramic scene, left to right, of the land, docks, and buildings, framing the harbor with the bridge and horizon small in the distance at the top of the image.  As we are introduced to each of the vessels and their conditions, we are brought close to them.  Details focusing on their problems heighten our connection to them.  Shiver lines border Submarine, a thermometer registering heat is stuck in Ferry's mouth, and a sick Aircraft Carrier is hunched as it coughs into the water.

Even though the colors are bold in the first images, after Hope enters the harbor the shades shift.  They are lighter and soothing, leaning toward healing and warmth.  The illustration sizes change to draw our attention to the delivery of remedies.  Readers will enjoy the facial features on all the boats.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a full-page picture.  From the gutter on the left, Hope's bow (face) is enlarged, covering a bit more than half the page.  She is smiling with her eyes closed as she comforts Submarine.  Submarine is next to (in front of) her facing in the opposite direction.  Submarine is also smiling with its eyes closed, now warm under the cover of a blanket.  The water is a light blue.  The background with a few buildings is several shades of dark peach.  This is pure contentment.

This book, And Then Came Hope written and illustrated by Stephen Savage, is designed for younger readers, but will resonate with readers of all ages.  It builds toward the five concluding words we all long to hear.  The author's note at the end titled The Real S. S. Hope gives us a bit of history and refers us to the Project Hope website.  You'll want to place this book in your professional collections, have a copy for your personal bookshelves, and share this often with others.

To learn more about Stephen Savage and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Stephen Savage has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior illustrations. 

And Then Came HOPE: Author Discussion and Reading with Project HOPE

Author Stephen Savage and Project HOPE's Grace Duggan join us to discuss Stephen's new book and have a conversation about child wellness during the pandemic.  "And Then Came Hope" was inspired by Project HOPE's own S. S. HOPE, the first peacetime hospital ship.  Stay tuned afterward as Stephen and Grace respond to your questions and comments in the chat.  Special thanks to Holiday House Books for Young People! 

Anchors Aweigh

Sometimes when you aren't paying attention or even making an effort to listen, a portion of a remark or conversation will drift your way.  What you hear may or may not be out of context but it can change everything.  It's as if those very words are exactly what you need to hear at that moment, whether the individuals speaking are directing them at you or not.  It's as if the universe has sent you a miracle.

In a certain wood there is a certain creature that had this very thing happen.  The Friend Ship (Disney Hyperion, December 6, 2016) written by Kat Yeh with illustrations by Chuck Groenink follows a marvelous voyage.  It all begins with a misunderstanding.  

Hedgehog was curled up in a prickly little ball in the lonely little nook of a lonely little tree when she heard someone say her name.

In one of the phrases uttered by one of the animals the word friendship is mentioned.  It is followed by these words:

"---all she has to do is look."

Hedgehog immediately knows what she must do.  She has to build a boat fit for sailing on the seas.

As she puts the finishing touches on her vessel, a beaver wants to know if he can come with her.  Hedgehog welcomes the company as she seeks The Friend Ship.  Their first inquiry is made to a group of deer shifting their home for the season.  They have not seen The Friend Ship but they sure could use friends so they set sail with the beaver and Hedgehog.   

Each animal they meet has not seen the ship in question but all want to find it.  More and more animals are passengers searching for pals on Hedgehog's boat.  All are welcomed aboard with a resounding affirmative answer.  They trek to the north, they voyage to the south, and they glide to the east.  

Not finding The Friend Ship makes Hedgehog as sad as she was before this started.  The animals are quick to reassure her.  These critters look at life on the sunny side.  When they arrive at one of the last islands, a very tiny island with a very big sole occupant, Hedgehog receives an answer.  It's not what you might imagine but it will be.

In the character of Hedgehog Kat Yeh creates a universal being.  Everyone at one time or another has been in need of a friend.  Using the word play of friendship and friend ship to propel this story is sheer genius.  Her other choices for words are conversational and less formal; 

"Whatcha doing?" asked a curious beaver. 

With the meeting of each animal, the asked question, their replies and their queries, you can feel a positive force flowing from the pages.  It's amazing what combinations of the word yes can accomplish.  One other thing is the politeness of Hedgehog.  She always says 

"Excuse me."

Here is a sample passage.

"The Friend Ship!" said the rat.

"No...but, pretty please with 

stinky cheese, can I come?"

"Oh, yes!" said Hedgehog.

"Double yes!" said the beaver.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes-yessity-yes!" said the deer.

The scene on the unfolded dust jacket glows.  The varied hue of golden sky shines on the islands and green sea waters.  The ten animals and Hedgehog make for a happy-go-lucky-looking crew.  Even though the images on each of the flaps are different they appear as extensions of the main dust jacket illustration.  The book case is a wavy swirl of glorious ocean blue.  The title text in white appears over the ship with the beaver and Hedgehog as they first set sail.  They are tiny but determined.  

On the opening and closing endpapers Chuck Groenink has placed a map of the seas and islands in pale golden yellow, green and black.  Each of the islands is represented in relief.  Careful readers will see they are labeled.  Those same readers will notice numbers and arrows.  The closing endpapers reveal a little bit more.

One of the first things which captures your attention about the images in this title is the fine lines, delicate details and the expressions on the animals' faces.  These elements give a true sense of place and mood.  In the first two-page picture with Hedgehog curled in the tree, you want to reach out and hug her.  Your love for her starts right here.  

Groenink makes excellent use of white space to frame single illustrations; some of them circular.  Most of his visuals span two pages.  Even now I am smiling thinking about the humor found in some of his pictures; the deer wearing backpacks or holding a coffee cup, the rat fishing off the ledge, and Hedgehog wading in the water at the final island.  It's wonderful how Groenink indicates the passage of time.  You might want to check the mast and bow.  

One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It's a bird's eye view of Hedgehog at the rudder and the beaver in the bow of the ship on the left side.  They are easing toward the shore of an island.  Standing in the clearing with the forest behind them on the right are four deer standing upright on their hind legs.  The color palette is muted but natural.  Seeing those deer with their backpacks will at the very least make you smile or in my case burst out laughing.

The Friend Ship written by Kat Yeh with illustrations by Chuck Groenink is splendiferous.  The characters, the story line and the illustrations all add up to joy.  This is the kind of book you need on your personal and professional shelves.  This is the kind of book you give to those you love.  You need to read and share this title often.

To discover more about Kat Yeh and Chuck Groenink please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Chuck Groenink also maintains a blog on Tumblr.

Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #6

Heading home today after sharing thanks and food with friends and their family, my co-pilot, my furry friend perched on the compartment between the front seats like a figurehead on a ship, and I observed in the twilight the signs of the upcoming holiday.  Lighted garlands are wrapped around lamp posts in local communities.  A large green tractor is completely covered in white lights as it sits on the lawn in front of the John Deere building.  Here and there some homes are already brightly decorated with twinkling rainbow lights.  One such home looks like it should join in the feud from the Deck the Halls movie.

For this blog post it has been my practice to highlight those titles which focus on gratitude but this year I am going to showcase two older titles which serve to pay tribute to a man who brought joy to thousands before Christmas every year in the month of November.  My previous posts, Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition, Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #2, Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #3, Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #4 and Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #5, featured these books.


The Christmas Tree Ship (Philomel Books, October 6, 1994) written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter is based upon the true story of Captain Herman Schuenemann.  This man used his fishing schooner, the Rouse Simmons, to deliver evergreen trees from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Chicago beginning in 1887.  For twenty-five years he set sail from Thompson to deliver Christmas joy to waiting people on the other side of Lake Michigan.

He and his crew and his wife and three daughters worked cutting trees and loading them on the ship.  As his family waved goodbye the Captain sailed over the frigid waters.  He loved sailing with his ship loaded with trees.  People were always excited when The Christmas Tree Ship moved up the Chicago River to the Clark Street Bridge.

These trees made their way into homes announcing the festivities to come.  On the other side of the lake, a wife and three daughters waited.  The following year snow fell as the trees were cut and taken to the ship.  It was still falling as the vessel set sail.

Out on the lake the snowfall became a blizzard of white, waves and wind.  The Christmas Tree Ship never arrived at the Clark Street Bridge.  A spruce tree was snagged in a fisherman's net.  A bottle washed upon a shore in Wisconsin with a note from Captain Herman.  When November came the next year a wife and three daughters continued the work of a husband and a father.


Jeanette Winter follows the facts closely in her interpretation of this story.  She does change some of the names but the soul and heart of the tale remains true.  When you read her words it's like listening to the storyteller reveal the magic of a legend.  Here are several passages.

Friendly gulls stayed close as The Christmas Tree Ship made its way down the icy waters of the winter lake.
Night fell, snowflakes fell, like stars falling all around.
Night on the lake was the captain's favorite time.


The matching dust jacket and book case immediately call out to the reader welcoming them with the familiar signature style of Jeanette Winter.  For those unaware of the story questions begin to form.  Who is this man?  Who are the woman and the three girls?  Why is he sailing in the winter?  To the left, on the back, six spruce trees are placed in a snowy square of purple against a dark green canvas.  The opening and closing endpapers are a rich red.  Beneath the text on the title page in a square is a small boat carrying a single upright tree.

For every page turn Jeanette Winter has given readers a single, framed image.  Her attention to detail is remarkable.  These pictures are like looking at pieces of Americana.  She alters her perspective giving us close-up views of the characters or panoramic views of the lake or city.

One of my many favorite illustrations is of the arrival of the ship in Chicago.  We are looking down at the scene as if we are a bird.  On either side of the river buildings stand tall, smoke billowing from the stacks.  Bridges cross from side to side as the ship slowly moves toward its destination.




The Christmas Tree Ship: The Story of Captain Santa (The Guest Cottage, Inc., November 2002) written by Rochelle M. Pennington with paintings by Charles Vickery begins in 1912, the final November Captain Schuenemann would sail. The captain knew winter was coming quickly and he had to hurry to make this final delivery of the year.  He had been doing this for more than two decades, selling his trees right from his ship.  For those who could not afford his trees or to charities, he gave the trees away for free.  His generosity earned him the name of Captain Santa.

Every year the captain's wife would ask the same question and every year he gave the same answer.  This year the forty-four year old ship was as loaded as ever when the Captain's voice rang out,

"Unleash the sails! Raise 'em high!

The captain loved to sail.  He loved Christmas.  He loved delivering these trees.

The captain knew he was in trouble when he saw the darkening sky.  The storm came fast and hard with bone-chilling temperatures and fearsome waves.  In Kewaunee, Wisconsin his distress call was picked up by the United States Lifesaving Station.

A crew from Two Rivers headed out to help.  They saw the Rouse Simmons but when they looked again it was gone.  It was two weeks and six days before the corked bottle was found.  (It wasn't until 1971 before the ship was discovered by a diver.  Christmas trees were still tied to the deck.)  But that was not the end of The Christmas Tree Ship in 1912 for the captain's wife Barbara and their daughters continued the tradition for another twenty-one years bringing trees from Michigan to Chicago.

Rochelle M. Pennington spins a tale of a big-hearted man (and his family) using research and poetic language.  She creates an atmosphere with her words taking us into the exact moment.  Many of the passages (I believe) are a reflection of her faith.  Here is a passage.

Then the captain saw it.  It was the one sight he loved more than any other when he was out to sea, this very sight, the sight of seemingly being able to see forever across endless waters and an endless horizon.

Somewhere out there Chicago lay.  The captain knew it.  But for now, it appeared not to be so.  For now, it looked as if he and his ship, with its sails raised high, could sail on forever into infinity.  He embraced the sight with his arms spread wide across the width of the wheel he worked before him.  Sail on, Captain, sail on.


Traditional, classic paintings by Charles Vickery of the schooner's arrival in Chicago and the schooner on the lake grace the front and back of the matching dust jacket and book case.  The use of light and shadow is stunning here and throughout the book.  Exquisite fine lines bring a photographic reality to the illustrations.  A sea green covers the opening and closing endpapers.

Most of the images span a single page opposite the narrative, with some crossing the gutter.  Original photographs are included with captions when appropriate.  They are placed on top of a painted background.

One of my favorite illustrations is of the arrival of The Christmas Tree Ship at the dock in Chicago.  Buildings and other ships on the river provide a background.  The sails on the ship are closed and tied.  Trees are stacked on the deck.  Other trees are being unloaded on carts or sold on the dock.  People are standing in the snow watching.

The Christmas Tree Ship written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter and The Christmas Tree Ship: The Story of Captain Santa written by Rochelle M. Pennington with paintings by Charles Vickery keep alive the memorable story of the work of one man and the work of his wife and daughters.  Their benevolent spirits live in the pages of these books.  Jeanette Winter does include a note at the beginning of her book.

To learn more about Rochelle M. Pennington and Charles Vickery please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Jeanette Winter is interviewed at A Mighty Girl in 2013.  I believe you will enjoy reading The Story of Chicago's Christmas Tree Ship, December 24, 2013 and The Christmas Tree Ship in the National Archives.