1 Wonderful images, flat story
As a native of Wisconsin, I had much interest in the story of a boy, his grandmother, and wildlife on a Wisconsin river. The illustrations, admittedly the author's strong suit, were strong indeed. The images were of such excellent quality that they almost made the book worthwhile. The beginning of the story held promise, but ended up spending beyond its means into imagination. Either a story of the boy visiting his grandmother for the summer and experiencing adventure on the river, or an imaginary tale of prolific so-close-you-could-touch-it wildlife would have been good. Neither was completed, and the resulting combination left me feeling flat. The experts, my two and five year-old grandchildren lost interest before the book was halfway through. Maybe for children a little bit older? I wish hope Mr. LaMarche to continue to illustrate, and a story-teller to author the books.
2 Raft Revelation
The Raft is a book that captures the heart of the reader with its great illustrations and vivid details of na-ture. It is a story of a boy who travels to his grandmother's house for the summer but really does not want to go. Her house is by a river where Nicky discovers a raft and a love of nature. He soon realizes the raft attracts animals, encountering many he hadn't seen in real life. Animals that would normally be frightened by a human seem calmed by the raft
During the summer he falls in love with drawing nature like his grandmother, who is also an artist. It is a story about a series of events that probably wouldn't happen, but the reader might wish they could.
The colorful illustrations by the author are some of the most delight-ful I have seen. He makes objects look exactly the way the reader might envision them.
The author had a cabin by a river near Lake Superior, and in his childhood memories he did not actually find a raft like this, but he did dream of it.
This book would appeal to chil-dren between the ages 6 and 8, or younger as a read-aloud. It is a great story for older children, teens, and adults as well.
If you like books about nature and animals this is your book.
3 The Raft
My daughter is 5 and loves this book, as do I. As we got to the last page, she said, "Read it again!" The illustrations are so beautiful and what a great way for children to see the beauty of nature. Another great thing about this book, is showing kids(and adults) that you don't need tv to have an amazing time.
4 The Raft
"Dad grinned. "Well, She's not your normal kind of grandma... calls herself a river rat." and with that Nicky blinks back tears at the prospect of spending the summer with her. There is not even a TV. What's a kid supposed to do? Well it's not long before Nicky discovers a raft, an old raft with pictures drawn all over it. I suspect Grandma had something to do with the discovery. As the days go by the raft becomes a haven for more than a boy and his grandma, 'hitchhikers' in the form of birds, racoons, turtles and even a family of foxes are viewed from the raft. Nicky soon finds himself drawing his own pictures of the animals he meets and discovering a hidden talent. This is a warm wonderful book that makes you absolutely long for a summer like Nicky spends with his grandma.
5 I was hurled back to the summers of my youth
As a young girl, I loved summers in upstate NY with my grandmother. This book - from the first illustration to the end - hurled me backward in time. I loved it. I used it as part of a group of river-related books in my Reading program for 3,4 and 5th graders. I loved reading it aloud to the students time and time again and they loved listening to it. Some of them chose to read it again by themselves. We put together a wonder mural of river life after reading this and all the other river-related books. It was a wonderful read for us all. My students were amazed at how the little boy could have any fun without a TV. The theme of enjoying nature was evident from the get-go and the illustrations gently reinforced the message.
6 A beautiful portrait of Wisconsin.
The first time I read through this book, I found it a bit unbelievable--animals coming right up to the boy on his raft! But my second "viewing" showed the amazing paintings, the engaging storyline, and the full characters. Being a native to Wisconsin, I am a bit biased, but I think anyone anywhere will enjoy this book. I would share this story with lower elementary students so the pictures and subject matter can be fully appreciated.
7 AWESOME!
LaMarche touches so many emotions with this wonderful story of relationships. Lovely illustrations speed one's heart into the deeper meaning of each page as the tale unfolds. If you ever had a Grama that was larger than life...this book is especially for you. An artist from soul to stern, this grandmother is a nurturer of true inner peace and dignity. Her young summer charge finds reluctance is a path not to tread. True friendship and understanding never comes to any of us who hurry...the essence of this book is soft, slow, true.
8 An excellent children's story
This is a short story, 32 large pages including text and illustrations. It is suitable for reading to a young child or group of children, or for slightly older children to read by themselves. The author/illustrator has done an outstanding job integrating text and large full-color illustrations to hold a child's interest. It is a story of summertime childhood adventures that children can easily relate to.
9 Great book for youngsters
I had a great time reading this book with my 10 year old. Very good story with excellent illustrations.
10 Drift away on The Raft
In every book order, there is at least one picture book that the staff agrees is "special" - a book where a well-written, often touching story line is joined by a set of remarkable illustrations. Such is the case with Jim LaMarche's The Raft. Between a sound story and beautiful pastel drawings, it is not just librarians who find this story "special." Recently read at StoryHour, the young audience appeared to thoroughly enjoy this tale, pointing out favorite illustrations and identifying the numerous birds and animals. All agreed that it would be wonderful to have a raft that attracted creatures so closely that one is hanging out with geese and chickadees, and feeding otters by hand. The Raft is a quiet tale of love, ecology, and in a sense, magic. It invites the reader to pour over the detailed illustrations and float away in his/her own imagination. Perfect for a peaceful getaway, The Raft is definitely one way to go.
11 A great book to inspire an adventure.
My 5 year old son loved this book. We enjoyed reading it together. It allowed him to feel like he was on an adventure. He related to the boy in the book. Even though it takes place in Wisconsin, it applies to anywhere a boy can use his imagination. We both looked forward to seeing what was going to happen next. This book has become his favorite.
