#blogbookaday: Mighty Moby

Summary:  “Deep in the dark ocean, Mighty Moby lurks. In a ship up above the ocean waves, a one-legged captain pursues the whale he clashed with long ago. Mighty Moby and the captain are soon locked in another battle…but things aren’t always what they seem. Caldecott Medalist Ed Young and writer Barbara DaCosta, the creative team behind bestselling award-winner Nighttime Ninja, have crafted another thrilling adventure, this time based on Herman Melville’s great novel Moby Dick. This classic American tale is retold in collage of pictures, prose, and song, along with a surprise ending. ” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review: I wasn’t sure what to expect from when I opened this story up and as interesting as it is, I’m not sure young kids would really grasp the concept for this book that takes much of its inspiration from the original story, Moby Dick. I think this would be a fascinating addition to a high school or college level class as a comparison to to the classic. Ed Young’s illustrations are cut paper collage which lend themselves to the chaos of the great whale hunt.

Personal Reaction: I’ve never read Moby Dick (and most likely won’t read it in the future), but I did pick up this title and it was so very different from many of the sweet or funny picture books you find on the shelves today. What I found most interesting was that Ed Young created the illustrations first and then handed it off to Barbara DaCost to add the narrative. If you’re looking for more information to extend learning about Mighty Moby, check out the book’s website!

Title: Mighty Moby
Author: Barbara DaCosta
Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 1, 2017

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!