Stowaways
I was provided with a copy of Stowaways. These are my honest thoughts on the book.
TL; DR: A cute book for imaginative kids who love to adventure.
On a rainy day when you need to get kids’ imaginations activated, read them ‘Stowaways’ by Susan Vaughan. Drawing on the story of a real Maine pirate - Dixie Bull - Vaughan uses the familiar trope of children disappearing into the world of their imagination (think Where the Wild Things Are) to place two bored kids in the world of seafaring, treasure-hunting pirates.
The book is on the wordy side, but not long. It’s not a toddler bedtime story. Instead, it’s probably best for older kids who will enjoy tagging along for the adventure, and then might even be further inspired to play pirates themselves or learn about Dixie Bull or Maine’s coastal history.
As with Vaughan’s earlier picture book Sleigh Magic, the book’s illustrations are a big part of its charm, bringing the adventurous story to life with expressive pirates set in coastal scenery evocative of fairy tales. With so many generic “Maine” books out there - (think, Good Night, Maine), it’s nice to have a newer picture book that uses Maine to inspire kids’ imaginations.