I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A very cool picture book about a cargo ship. Excellent illustrations too.

Parents whose jobs take them away from home for long stretches of time face many challenges. But so too do their children have challenges. In this story, a child dreams they are a seagull, following along with their father’s cargo-hauling ship. They weather a storm, engine problems, and the long wait at port until a berth opens for them to dock and unload. All ending with the father coming home to their child.

I really enjoyed the art style of this book, done in color pencils. A spread that particularly struck me was the father’s trip down to the engine room, where one page is VERY basic, white background with zig-zagging lines to make stairs, plus a few portholes. But once he’s in the engine room, there’s a masterful use of perspective, showing how LONG it is, and how MANY engines there are. Those many stairs and the vast engines give some real scope for how big a cargo ship is. The outside of the ship also gives a great idea of how big it is, with storage containers twelve across and twelve deep. And they’re mere squares, because, at the distance needed to see all the containers, they become little more than a quilt!

Obviously, hand this to any kid who loves boats and ships, but also give this a try on train-loving kids. They’ll recognize the storage containers, and then be wowed at vessels that can move so many at once!

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

How hard it must be for kids who have parents who have to travel extensively for or as work, especially when it consists of long periods of time. Children must imagine what it is that their parent does and how they go through their day while away from home. “Cargo,” written by Adèle Tariel and illustrated by Jérôme Peyrat is one child’s journey through the eyes of a seagull in finding out about their father’s life as a container ship captain. Travelling through the air, we get a birds-eye view of the captain’s life and duties but also the journey of the cargo ship and cargo itself. A wonderful book that will spark some great conversations about where things come from and how far they have to travel. A great discussion too about different kinds of jobs including some more unusual ones that can take you on literal adventures around the world. The illustrations, vibrant with an ocean colour palette, are engaging and offer many observation points about the ocean, the ship, and the characters. A great read for younger readers, but also for early primary students. 



Teacher Tips

* What are some of the roles of a ship’s captain?

* What are some of the benefits to having a job like the father in the story? What are some of the challenges?

* How does stuff get here? When things have to travel so far by boat… trains, trucks, etc. What does that mean for the environment? What should we consider?

This book was very unique in addressing the job of a freighter and also covered parents that work away from home. Now it is very common for parents to be away from children for a period of time for work and little ones may not understand this concept. I believe this book would be wonderful in addressing why a parent is away for work and would be a great bedtime story for parents to read to their children. The illustrations were wonderful and very vibrant.

A beautiful story of how parents and their child are always connected and together in their hearts, no matter how far the distance between them. In this one, which features stunningly beautiful illustrations, a young child, safe and warm in bed, dreams that that they are a bird flying high above the ocean and watching their father, far away from home, as he works at his job on a cargo ship. Regardless of weather – sunny skies or brutal storms – the bird flies above the ship, keeping watch and making sure the father gets home safely to his family. Absolute beautiful, both physically and emotionally. This one had me holding back the tears.

4.5 stars
A beautifully and uniquely illustrated picture books for ages 1-6. Cargo tells the story of a bird observing the captain of a cargo ship out to sea. The illustrations are interesting and inviting. Boat and ship loving children will be enamored by the colorful cargo ship. A great gift choice for a young reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

My son loves all things ships and boats. So this was a really cool book for him to read he loved the illustrations. It’s unique to see a book about a cargo ships because you don’t see many books that are written about cargo ships. The representation is cool.

The book seems to read like a poem rather than a story.

I enjoyed it. I think it’s good for kids ages 5-7.