Starlight Sailor

by James Mayhew, Jackie Morris (Illustrator)

Sail away to dreamland! As you journey through the night, you will meet all kinds of curious and magical creatures.

An ideal bedtime read, it encourages children to dream and imagine, with beautiful illustrations and high production

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy

24 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

James Mayhew's first book for children was Katie's Pictures Show, (Orchard Books 1989) establishing the long running series about a child's adventures in an art gallery. Many of his books have a cultural agenda and James is passionate about introducing children to art, music, opera, ballet and traditional tales.

He has published over 60 books, and illustrated and written for many other colleagues including Philippa Pearce, Martin Waddell and Jackie Morris.

As a storyteller he has devised and performed a series of sell-out concerts for children with the de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra, and has participated in prom performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

He has also created designs and illustrations for the Kirov Mariinsky Opera of St Petersburg and in 1994 won the New York Times award for one of the ten best illustrated books on the year (The Boy and The Cloth of Dreams).

He has made regular appearances at the National Galleries in Edinburgh and London and visits many schools, and arts and literary festivals.

James is a member of the Art Worker's Guild and the Society of Authors.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be suitable for children up to year 2. It is told through rhyme and there are colourful illustrations with lots of detail and things to look at. There are instructions at the end for how to make a paper boat which could be used as a practical activity or it could be used to study writing instructions. It encourages creative thinking and imagination which could help children with writing their own stories. There are also opportunities for children to act out scenes in the story or the dream could be portrayed through dance.

[Sue Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Barefoot Books and this is a gentle, rhythmic story of the places you may go when you dream. There's lots to talk about, lots to spot in the pictures; pirate ships, maps, whales, compasses, magical lands and a storytelling dragon. Plenty to enjoy as you listen as well as plenty to stimulate art, drama and story writing. You'll like the boat making instructions at the end!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy books that encourage children to have imaginations and enter fantastical worlds. This beautifully illustrated picture book does just that. I find myself wishing I was along for the boat ride and that I could meet the dragon.

[Set · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't want to rate too harshly because I'm very picky about illustrations. The mermaids are very creepy in my opinion. And the children, especially the princesses could have been drawn more facially pretty. The rhyme is imaginative and has a certain Wynken, Blynken and Nod feel to it.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would make a good bedtime read-aloud. It gets an extra whole star for how utterly adorable the little donkey-dragon in one of the spreads was.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

KSE really liked.

[Dominika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and story what can happen when we dream.

[Mills College Library]

Picture M469s 2009

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever had pages you just pour over? I adore the illustrations here. Definitely recommend as a keepsake.

[OxoNewbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book featuring the popular nursery rhymes. Beautiful, old-fashioned illustrations. There's an activity at the back of the book "Make Your Own Paper Boat" which is a lovely touch.

4 stars.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slight story with lovely illustrations by Jackie Morris. Includes instructions for making a paper boat.

[swan lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesmerizing ❤️

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little book about dreaming and imagination. I didn't find it particularly moving or memorable, but as always, JM is the QUEEN of dragons.

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about the power of imagination. I love that there is a unicorn on almost every page, and the racial diversity in the children pictured.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A soothing bedtime story with dreamy, whimsical illustrations.

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Mayhew, Starlight Sailor (Barefoot Books, 2009)

Full disclosure: since I wrote this review, and in part because of our reactions to Starlight Sailor and I Took the Moon for a Walk, my wife and mother-in-law have become Barefoot Books distributors.

Gentle fantasy book with lovely rhythm and rhyme. The illustrations may take a touch of getting used to, but they're distinctive and fun, and the story is wonderful for imaginative pre-litters (and aren't they all imaginative at that age?). This is rapidly becoming one of my favorites at storytime, and the Bean likes it a lot, too. *** ½

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a childrens' book illustrated by Jackie Morris. I love her work. It's a wonderful story with illustrations that are magical and inspiring. I enjoyed reading on Jackie's blog about her process to illustrate the boat in this book. http://www.jackiemorris.co.uk/blog/bo...

I used to make those kinds of paper boats in church using church bulletins.

[Dave Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually children's books can be run-of-the-mill with illustrations and often lackluster stories. "Starlight Sailor" is not one of those books. This is a work of art with stunning illustrations and a dream-like story like finds a boy and his dog travelling to a faraway land. Whales, pirates, dragons and a treasure trove of childhood wonder are constant characters and companions. I love every second of this book. A classic.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful classic theme. The water colored pictures and overall illustrations are stunning. The story content ebbs and flows beautifully introducing with a familiar poem. I wished that the book was a little bigger because the pre-school audience enjoyed finding the different characters in each page during storytime. This book works great for bedtime and/or story hour.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect addition for every nursery's library! A sweet, dreamy, rhyming tale that follows a young boy after he wishes on evening's first star. The beautiful watercolor illustrations perfectly capture the feeling of this lovely book.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this book to my grandson. I loved the beautiful colors used in the pictures. Also, I enjoyed the fact the story was short but entertaining.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple theme, short, but those illustrations...