No. of pages 304
Published: 2013
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This book is the winner of numerous awards
This book has been graded for interest at 7-9 years.
There are 304 pages in this book.
This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+).
This book was published in 2013 by Penguin Random House Children's UK .
Dave Shelton created the comic strip Good Dog, Bad Dog published in the DFC, the Guardian and the Phoenix. His first novel, A Boy and a Bear in a Boat, won the 2013 Branford Boase Award for first novel. He lives in Cambridge.
Costa Children's Book Award
Branford Boase Award
Animals in literature
Bears in literature
Nature in literature
Dairsie Primary School Library
Detective, Mystery And Adventure Stories (Dairsie Primary elibrary)
Adventures in literature
Kate Greenaway Medal
Carnegie Award
Whitbread Children's Book Award: 1971-2005
This book has been nominated for the following awards:
Kitschies Red Tentacle Award
The Kitschies Red Tentacle Award is a literary prize that celebrates exceptional works of speculative fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Established in 20 10, a panel of judges reviews submitted works to create a shortlist of nominees. By spotlighting exceptional works in speculative fiction, the Kitschies Red Tentacle Award helps to elevate the status of the genre.Top of Form
Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award is a prestigious literary award in the United Kingdom that celebrates outstanding debut children's novels. Established in 2000, the award honours the memory of Branford Boase, a children's book publisher, and aims to recognize new authors who demonstrate exceptional storytelling skills and originality in their first published work. The award is aimed at children's literature, specifically focusing on works for readers aged 8 to 12 years. A panel of judges reviews submissions to create a shortlist of nominated titles. There is no public voting process.
The Whitbread Award
This book was recognised by the The Whitbread Award, now called 'The Costa Book Awards'. These are a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in Britain and Ireland. They were inaugurated for 1971 publications and known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2006 when Costa Coffee, then a subsidiary of Whitbread, took over sponsorship.
Bash Book Award - Primary School
This book was recognised in the Primary School category by the Bash Book Award.
Carnegie Medal
This book was recognised by the Carnegie Award. The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.
Costa Children's Book Award
The Costa Childrens Book Award is a prestigious literary award that recognizes outstanding children's literature in the United Kingdom. Part of the broader Costa Book Awards, which celebrate excellence in writing across several categories, the award focuses on childrens literature for readers aged up to 12 years. A panel of expert judges reviews submissions to create a shortlist of nominated titles.
Kate Greenaway Award
The Kate Greenaway Medal is a prestigious annual award presented in the United Kingdom to honour outstanding illustration in children's literature. Established in 1955, the award is named after the famous Victorian illustrator and author Kate Greenaway, who is celebrated for her charming and distinctive illustrations in children's books. The Kate Greenaway Medal aims to recognize and celebrate exceptional illustrations in children's books, highlighting the critical role that visual storytelling plays in engaging young readers. The award is open to any book that is illustrated for children and published in the UK during the eligibility period. This includes various genres, such as picture books, graphic novels, and illustrated stories. A panel of judges reviews submissions to select the shortlist of nominated titles. The judging criteria focus on artistic merit, originality, and the ability to enhance the story being told. The shortlisted titles are announced each year, and the winner is selected from this list
"Rich in atmosphere and gently humorous, this is a delightful small-scale but epic adventure . . . A book to savour" -- Julia Eccleshare
"Very special" * Guardian *
"Just occasionally, a gentle funny little book pops up in which the story, tone, illustrations and even cover are so perfectly attuned to each other, and to the children for whom it is intended, that it lifts one's spirits. This is such a book" * The Daily Mail *
"A charming journey of discovery at sea for eight year olds and above" * The Daily Telegraph *
"One of the most original children's books I've ever read" -- Philip Reeve