THE SHIP OF FORTUNE

When the beach gear is forgotten, some inspired DIY with natural objects saves the day at the sea.

Michao, a grown bear, drives the narrator, a young fox wearing overalls, and Marguerite, a young sheep wearing a blue sundress, to the beach. They have a full day planned, with swimming, playing with a beach ball, building sand castles, and floating on their inflatable crocodile. But when they arrive at the beach and open the trunk, they find that all of their beach gear has been forgotten at home. At the fox’s suggestion, Michao tries doing magic to make it all appear, but that doesn’t work. The fox doesn’t know what to do. Michao, though, gets an idea from the ships on the horizon. While Marguerite wades, he teaches the fox to build a ship out of twigs and seaweed. They all then wade into the water and set their ship to sail, imagining where it might end up as the day fades and they head home. This French import feels unusual, with unclear relationships among the animals and an open ending, but the movement from eager anticipation to disappointment to rescued day of magical moments will be familiar to families. Lush illustrations on oversized spreads successfully evoke the feel and mood of a day at the beach. The characters’ proportions’ and anatomy are humanlike, elevating the surreal mood.

A surprising mix of characters in a lovely setting.