About this item
Highlights
- Two boys spend the day doing nothing but imagining in this poetic ode to the freedom of summer.On a hot summer day that feels like it's lasted forever, two brothers stretch out in the back seat of an abandoned car in a strip-mall parking lot.
- 4-8 Years
- 11.3" x 7.6" Hardcover
- 32 Pages
- Juvenile Fiction, Imagination & Play
Description
About the Book
"On a hot summer day, two brothers prowling the strip mall parking lot find a parked car as a big as a whale and climb in. Armed with a bag full of fries, the boys lure seagulls to them, seeking adventure and longing to see the ocean. Together, they can go anywhere their imaginations can take them. The fastest way there is through the clouds. Lyrical text by Dorson Plourde and expressive, saturated art by Isabella Fassler combine in this evocative ode to the freedom of summer. Perfectly capturing the mood of a languid summer day, Garbage Gulls tells the story of so many children in North America, who don't spend their summers at camps, beaches or the boardwalk -- and who instead take flight through their own imaginations."--Book Synopsis
Two boys spend the day doing nothing but imagining in this poetic ode to the freedom of summer.
On a hot summer day that feels like it's lasted forever, two brothers stretch out in the back seat of an abandoned car in a strip-mall parking lot. They pass the time thinking up another place, scattering ketchup-soaked fries around their whale of a car to attract the garbage gulls. They have to leave just the right amount, the older boy tells the younger, so enough gulls will come. Enough to lift them up in their tangle of wings and take them to the sea.
Lyrical text by Dorson Plourde and expressive art by Isabella Fassler - two debut creators - combine to perfectly capture the mood of a languid summer day. Without access to a beach or summer camp, with only fries and colas and a stretch of asphalt, the brothers dream themselves to the sea the only way they can - through their shared imagination. This evocative picture book is sure to transport children through the clouds to the imagined delights beyond.
Review Quotes
Brilliant ... Plourde is pulling out all the stops with this narrative. ... I've always been fond of stories about broken down city locations, and this book slots into that category like a hand in a glove. ... Isabella Fassler ['s art] is wild and raw and full of pencil crayons and graphite. I guarantee, you won't forget this one soon.--Fuse 8 (School Library Journal)
Fassler's illustrations blend perfectly with Plourde's playful text, allowing readers to imagine the world the boys see ... Young readers will enjoy the creativity of the two boys in this delightful picture book.--Children's Literature
... a gorgeously rendered poetic tribute to childhood summers in all their messy, hazy glory.--CM Magazine
... a celebration of imagination ... shows another side of summer vacation that requires no money and no adults to be a success.--School Library Journal
... a wild and wonderful seasonal tribute to the way that children, left to their own devices during a long summer's day, can be immensely creative.--Publishers Weekly
The book is a dazzling debut ... Lyrical, absurd, and full of wonder.--Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Dorson Plourde is an author and elementary art educator. At home, his studio is full of picture books, good tunes and paints ... but mostly spots for his cat, Theo, to snooze on. Originally from Portland, Maine, he is now based in Boston, Massachusetts. You can find him online at www.dorsonplourdebooks.com. Isabella Fassler is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario, who is passionate about exploring the different ways art can transform our perceptions. Drawn to all things bright and bold, she loves to play with color and texture in her art.