Book Description
for The Castaway by James Stevenson
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
When he accompanies his family to see the movie “The Island of No Return” Hubie gets scared, just as his older brother predicted. So the young mouse is hardly thrilled when his family decides to take a vacation to a real island. But being the youngest means Hubie is often at the fate of decisions made by others. Island of Barabooda-bound, Hubie finds himself on a dirigible (this is 1937) when his penchant for picture-taking leads to an unexpected journey: out an emergency exit and onto an almost-deserted tropical island (with the help of a passing pelican). Although easily scared, young Hubie has always stood tall in the face of a challenge, as readers of Stevenson’s earlier picture books featuring the adventure-prone mouse know. As with those earlier titles ( All Aboard , 1995; The Seaview Hotel , 1978; and The Stowaway , 1990), author/artist James Stevenson uses an energetic, comic-book style well-suited to the offbeat, comic absurdity of his story. (Ages 5-9)
CCBC Choices 2003 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2003. Used with permission.