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Three New Children’s Books by Local Authors
A determined ninja girl, a self-important otter and an intrepid 6-year-old star in these stories
This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.
Arrow to Alaska: A Pacific Northwest Adventure
By Hannah Viano
Six-year-old Arrow has often dreamed about the voyages taken by boats traveling through the locks near his Seattle home. Thanks to an invitation from his Aunt Kelly—a salmon boat captain—he gets to tag along on a trip to Alaska to visit his Grampy Lightning. Along the way he encounters whales, salmon and seaplanes. The costar of Arrow’s maritime adventure is the striking black paper-cutout artwork by Ballard writer/illustrator Hannah Viano, creator of S Is for Salmon. Her bold, beautiful imagery captures the spirit of the Pacific Northwest and fosters dreams of journeying to the last frontier.
Elliott the Otter: The Totally Untrue Story of Elliott, Boss of the Bay
By John Skewes and Eric Ode
Elliott the Otter by John Skewes; Photo Credit: Chris Eltrich/Studio 3 inc
The latest book from Greenwood’s John Skewes, writer/illustrator of the beloved Larry Gets Lost series, follows Elliott, a busy little otter who is pretty sure he’s the one who runs the show in the bay that shares his name. Elliott’s many important jobs include everything from ushering the container ships through the port to playing traffic cop for the salmon as they stampede through the locks. Skewes teams up with Sumner-based children’s poet and songwriter Eric Ode to tell a story that introduces kids to our busy working port.
Little Kunoichi: The Ninja Girl
By Sanae Ishida
Little Kunoichi by Sanae Ishida; Photo Credit: Chris Eltrich/Studio 3 inc
This richly illustrated book takes us far, far away to an elite ninja training school on a secret island in unidentified waters. There, Little Kunoichi (which means “female ninja” in Japanese) struggles with her studies until she teams up with a young samurai from a rival school. Together they practice their skills for the upcoming Island Festival and learn a great lesson in friendship, cooperation and the reachable goal of improvement (rather than perfection). This is the first book from Wallingford author and illustrator Sanae Ishida, who depicts Kunoichi’s tale in lush watercolor paintings full of wit and whimsy. Join Ishida on May 10 at Queen Anne Book Company (1811 Queen Anne Ave. N; 206.284.2427) from 4 to 6 p.m. for the book release party.
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