Out of the Blue Hardcover – Picture Book, June 30, 2014

This book caught my grand daughters eye when I checked it out @ the library & I knew that we HAD to have it! The story & illustrations are so sweet & engaging. After we read, we draw pictures of the shells & creatures from the story. She is obsessed with the ocean & I am going to support that as long as I can!

This book is absolutely stunning. It is a picture book that tells the tale of two children who rescue a stranded giant squid. The tale starts gently, with a depiction of a quiet day at the beach, which turns into a stormy night. The next morning, the children visit the beach to find that the storm has washed up a giant squid tangled in a net. At first, people--the kids included--gawk at the animal, and then they run in fear when it opens its eyes. The kids see from afar that the squid is crying, and they muster their courage and creativity to snip it free of its net. The book imagines that some animals do things animals could not possibly do (ie--dolphins take a hold of the squid's tentacles to help pull it back into the sea), and that fantastical touch is somehow palatable rather than saccharine.Bottom line: My three-year-old daughter wanted to read it night after night for weeks on end, and I never tired of it. In fact, I kept finding new details that charmed me in the pages--an artist with easel painting the sea (self-portrait by Alison Jay?), paintings of fierce sea creatures in the boy's lighthouse home, etc.

Purchased this for our 4 year old who loves the ocean and sea life. We have many books already by this author/illustrator and enjoy them all - there is always more to look for on each page so "reading" this book is often different each time as we explore each page together. We really like the story - a combination of a relatable day at the beach, science, and empathy. We also really enjoyed the factual information included in the back. He loved the book so much he brought it into his preschool and "read" it to his teachers and friends.

So, this book is interesting because we love Allison Jay's other books (her illustrations really are just so whimsical and AMAZING) but this one has no words. The pictures tell a story and we notice different things in the book every time we "tell the story" of the photos. I have a 2 year old so she says "read this to me mommy" and we basically just look at the picture and then talk about what is happening in it. We really like it but I was just surprised there wasn't actually words in the story part at all (but some words/info things at the very end of the book)...

I bought this book because of sand and sea illustrations. Story didn't need words. The illustrations gave you a feeling of the day as you strolled thru it. It would be interesting for a teacher and hear each child's version of how they interpret it.

I've gifted every kid I know that was born after my son when they turned 1 or 2. Allows for a lot of self exploration within the pictures, so there is a repeat read value if you just follow any single background character.

This is my 2-year-old son's all-time favorite book. Because there are no words, the story we make up is a little different every time. The illustrations are wonderful. So many details to discover and discuss. Fabulous!

This book is incredible. My kids love it and I enjoy "reading" it to them. It has no words so we tell the story together while exploring this wonderful details Alison Jay includes in the pictures.