The Great Ships

By: Patrick O’Brien

Pages: 40

Ages: 6-10

Publisher: Walker & Company

Summary:

This is an illustrated book of 19 famous ships.  After an introduction it starts with the Viking Gokstad, then goes on to tell the stories of other famous names such as the Amistad, the Mayflower, the Nautilus, Queen Anne’s Revenge, the Maine, The Bismarck, the Bounty and the Enterprise.

Each ship has a full layout page – one side for a full illustration, and one side with the ship’s story (the Monitor and the Virginia share a page, as do the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria).  An appendix in the back tells where the ship is now, and the inside covers have simple scale drawings.

Marie’s Review:

I was drawn to this book by the beautifully detailed cover and the illustrations.  I learned about quite a few ships I’d only heard of – I finally know how Old Ironsides got her name! We even have plans to look for more books on the Bounty and the Enterprise.

We enjoyed looking at the scale drawings, too.  The Nina was even smaller than our house, and dozens and dozens of Ninas could fit on the massive Enterprise.

This book would make a great gift for a child interested in ships.

Grace’s Review: This book was cool and awesome. I want to learn more about ships now.      My favorites were the Titanic, and the Monitor and the Virginia.

Lainey’s Review:  I liked this one. I wasn’t really into ships before but now I think they’re interesting, especially the old time ones.

Christian Friendly:  Yes

Sensitive Readers:  Caution

Many of these ships sank – with people on board.  Reading about the Titanic and the Bismarck was especially sobering for all of us.