The bear looks the part in his captain's hat but the boy soon discovers just how deceptive looks can be. What should have been a short journey turns into a series of mishaps and disasters. They go through stormy seas, meet a terrifying sea monster, and are shipwrecked.
David Shelton both wrote and illustrated this book. The comic-style drawings are very expressive and capture the essence of the story. Kids will especially love the terrifying sea monster: tentacles, barnacle-encrusted skin, multiple eyes, and a gaping mouth full of very big and pointy teeth.
It's not quite the perfect fit for a bedtime story as the boy and the bear still haven't reached the other side by the end of it. But they are well on the way. The chapters are short and each one is a little cliff hanger.
For children 8 years and up.
Title: A Boy and a Bear in a Boat
Author: Dave Shelton
Imprint: David Fickling Books
RRP: $16.95 paperback