I've never read a book written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers. It is difficult to choose which is my favorite, but this one is at the top.

Young Finn misses his grandfather. Remembering that he told Finn about "a magical place where the ocean meets the sky, where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float," Finn decides to build a boat. Tired after his accomplishment, he falls asleep and dreams of the place that his grandfather so lovingly portrayed.

It would have been his grandfather's 90th birthday. Dreaming of the place his grandfather so lovingly portrayed, Finn dreams of what was planned. As a great golden fish shows the way, the journey is beyond his dreams could portray.

I confess that the Fan Brothers are by far my favorite illustrators. It is difficult to find other books as beautiful. The depth of their artistry canot be beat. Every book is magical and special.

I highly recommend readers to open one of their magical books and to spend time as you are transported to a journey of sheer beauty beyond words. ( )

Note: I received an F&G at an ALA conference. ( )

The Fan brothers really made a powerful book about grief, loss, remembrance and the mystery of death. The story of Finn who remembers his grandpa on a day that "would have been good for sailing," that was also would have been his grandpa's birthday. His remembrance takes the form of creating a boat to make a trip to the place where ocean meets the sky that he had planned with his grandpa. The mysterious trip Finn takes through a world not quite sky and not quite sea where he could imagine exploring all day with his grandpa. The illustrations are beautiful and magical bringing a steampunk boats in the sky vibe and help us face our grief head on in a way that is not so scary, but light and beautiful and mysterious.

Epic is the first adjective that comes to mind with this picture book by The Fan Brothers. Finn lives by the sea. On what would have been his grandfather’s ninetieth birthday, he finds himself missing his grandfather’s stories and wisdom. To honor his grandfather he builds a small boat and, exhausted, falls asleep. Upon waking he finds himself sailing to that mysterious place his grandfather told him about where the ocean meets the sky.

The artwork so easily conveys the magic of this place with cloud pictures, giant sea creatures, The Library islands with its bookish birds along with air and sea vessels of every kind converging there. Children will read this book time and again just pull some new beautiful detail out of it. ( )

Now here's a book that marries story and image, that weaves the two together and explodes with imagination. Lovely in story, lovely in image. ( )