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Blue Floats Away
Little Blue is very close to his iceberg parents so when he suddenly breaks away from them, he promises to return and, after traveling far and undergoing big changes, he may succeed.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
April 13, 2021
A wonderful story about embracing change with the bonus of learning the water cycle.
March 29, 2021
A delightful story about a little iceberg and the water cycle. My students loved it!
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January 24, 2021Little Blue is an iceberg who unexpectedly separates from his parents and goes on a journey. As he drifts south and the water gets warmer, Blue begins to shrink... but is he disappearing? Or just changing? This is an innovative and beautiful picture book about the water cycle and the importance of protecting our planet. I love the vivid colors and creative textures in the illustrations. This is a deceptively simple story that's perfect for sharing on Earth Day or when talking about the water cycle.
August 17, 2021
Little Blue is an iceberg who lived with his parents near the North Pole. Then one day, he broke free and floated away. As he floated, Blue began to see new things like sharks in the water and sailboats. His new friends helped him chart a way to use the currents to get back home. But before he could return, something happened to Blue. He started to shrink until he disappeared entirely. Blue mixed with the ocean water and eventually evaporated and condensed into something new: a cloud. Once again, Blue made some new friends in the sky and they helped him head back home. Were his parents ever surprised to see what he had become!
Jonker writes a lovely and simple story here that is entirely engaging. It’s a clever look at both climate change and the water cycle without any sort of lecturing. The climate change piece is handled in a way that demonstrates changes but without being frightening, instead offering a sense that one can return home again successfully even after one has grown and changed after leaving home.
Snider’s illustrations are striking. They use deep colors for sky and sea, creating waves, bright days of tangerine and pink, and nights of purple and black. The cut paper format works particularly well, creating strong shapes that will work well for sharing aloud with a group.
A water cycle book that is a pleasure to drink in. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Jonker writes a lovely and simple story here that is entirely engaging. It’s a clever look at both climate change and the water cycle without any sort of lecturing. The climate change piece is handled in a way that demonstrates changes but without being frightening, instead offering a sense that one can return home again successfully even after one has grown and changed after leaving home.
Snider’s illustrations are striking. They use deep colors for sky and sea, creating waves, bright days of tangerine and pink, and nights of purple and black. The cut paper format works particularly well, creating strong shapes that will work well for sharing aloud with a group.
A water cycle book that is a pleasure to drink in. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
May 1, 2021
What a beautiful book , I will be pairing this with Sea Bear for my students.
May 10, 2021
Water cycle, change, perspective, climate change, adventure
August 24, 2021
It is a fact that anything Grant Snider touches will turn to gold. 💛
February 9, 2022
Phenomenal way to learn about the water cycle! And the colorful illustrations are stunning!
May 11, 2021
This is definitely the most touching story I've ever read about an iceberg.
It's also an interesting way for the kiddos to learn about the water cycle.
It's also an interesting way for the kiddos to learn about the water cycle.
March 24, 2021
This is a short read-aloud a book about a piece of an iceberg that falls off and wanders through the earth's water cycle.
August 19, 2022
The water cycle, climate change, family, friends, growing up, and living in an ever-changing world. Kinda perfect.
May 15, 2021
Loved this one! Such an enjoyable story that could be used for so many things - to teach the water cycle to young children, talk about the environment and global warming, a metaphor for growing up (graduation gift), discussion around changes, transformation, or taking risks (maybe pair with Loren Long's Little Tree), thinking about identity. So much in a simple, sweet book!
March 26, 2021
"No one was prepared for this."
Blue Floats Away tells the sweet story of Blue & the water cycle. This picture book is done so perfectly that I read it numerous times in a row, each time discovering something new and even lovelier than before.
Blue Floats Away tells the sweet story of Blue & the water cycle. This picture book is done so perfectly that I read it numerous times in a row, each time discovering something new and even lovelier than before.
April 9, 2021
This is a sweet and gentle book that explains the water cycle through the story of a little iceberg named Blue. The illustrations are vibrant and childlike, and the text is simple and engaging---this would make a nice read aloud for an early-elementary science class.
May 5, 2021
Utterly charming and full of information AND emotional resonance.
June 26, 2021
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
BLUE FLOATS AWAY is the intriguing story of an iceberg. Blue lives with his mother and father, when one day he breaks away and floats off into the unknown. Although frightened at first, he soon meets new friends who teach him new things. As time continues, he travels into warmer waters and melts before rising to become a cloud. As he again meets new friends, he continues to travel until he begins to snow and returns to his parents changed.
What I loved: This book gives a personal context to icebergs and lightly global warming, as we follow Blue on his journey. Although it starts out a little sad with Blue getting lost, I appreciated the new friends he meets along the way and the concepts that are mentioned. The story stays brief, only mentioning these things, which makes it great for young readers. This would be great as part of a classroom or home lesson about water cycles and weather. The backmatter includes some additional information about the water cycle and climate change.
The illustrations throughout are really interesting, with cut paper used to create the images. The bright and vivid color choices are perfect for the intended audience. I could definitely see this sparking some fun art projects! The font is clear, large, and easy to read, which also helps with reading it aloud in a classroom setting.
Final verdict: A story of climate change and the water cycle, BLUE FLOATS AWAY is picture book that would be great in the classroom or at home. Recommend for toddlers through early elementary school aged readers.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
BLUE FLOATS AWAY is the intriguing story of an iceberg. Blue lives with his mother and father, when one day he breaks away and floats off into the unknown. Although frightened at first, he soon meets new friends who teach him new things. As time continues, he travels into warmer waters and melts before rising to become a cloud. As he again meets new friends, he continues to travel until he begins to snow and returns to his parents changed.
What I loved: This book gives a personal context to icebergs and lightly global warming, as we follow Blue on his journey. Although it starts out a little sad with Blue getting lost, I appreciated the new friends he meets along the way and the concepts that are mentioned. The story stays brief, only mentioning these things, which makes it great for young readers. This would be great as part of a classroom or home lesson about water cycles and weather. The backmatter includes some additional information about the water cycle and climate change.
The illustrations throughout are really interesting, with cut paper used to create the images. The bright and vivid color choices are perfect for the intended audience. I could definitely see this sparking some fun art projects! The font is clear, large, and easy to read, which also helps with reading it aloud in a classroom setting.
Final verdict: A story of climate change and the water cycle, BLUE FLOATS AWAY is picture book that would be great in the classroom or at home. Recommend for toddlers through early elementary school aged readers.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
April 8, 2021
When a small portion of glacier calves and floats away, "Blue" leaves home hbehind and begins a journey through the ocean, at fist confident, then cautious, then curious. With minimal text, the journey explores changes of climate and location, meets other residents of the seas, until Blue loses his physical form in the warming oceans. The series of new beginnings, explorations, and discoveries, and transformations resumes with evaporation, condensation, wind currents, and the circles and cycles continue.
The simple page of back matter includes some of the technical words that are avoided within the main text, allowing it to be accessible from the earliest ages, but making it useful for school age kids. The environmental reality of a warming planet and the impact of its warming seas and skies make this an ideal book for these related to water cycle, environmental issues, and more.
The simple page of back matter includes some of the technical words that are avoided within the main text, allowing it to be accessible from the earliest ages, but making it useful for school age kids. The environmental reality of a warming planet and the impact of its warming seas and skies make this an ideal book for these related to water cycle, environmental issues, and more.
April 20, 2021
While those who champion for our planet's preservation, our preservation, are grateful for the establishment of Earth Day in 1970, there is still much to be done. Time is literally running out. It is more important than ever; each day should be dedicated to our Earth.
One book at a time, change happens. Words are powerful, reader to reader.
A clever portrayal on the change our glaciers experience is presented in Blue Floats Away (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 23, 2021) with words by Travis Jonker and pictures by Grant Snider. As if we are side-by-side with Blue, we navigate the unknown. We learn about the transformative power of being different.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
One book at a time, change happens. Words are powerful, reader to reader.
A clever portrayal on the change our glaciers experience is presented in Blue Floats Away (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 23, 2021) with words by Travis Jonker and pictures by Grant Snider. As if we are side-by-side with Blue, we navigate the unknown. We learn about the transformative power of being different.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
April 26, 2021
I've read this book several times and enjoyed it more each time. I'm amazed that with the simplest of torn paper, Grant Snyder has managed to tell Travis Jonker's special story of a small iceberg that breaks away from its parents and travels its journey seeing beautiful things. It's a circle story, the story of the water cycle, guaranteed to enthrall everyone, especially if you have been seeing the news from the Arctic about great bergs breaking apart, falling into the ocean, melting faster than expected. Both these creators make it look easy to make a great story. I suspect it is not.
August 8, 2021
I realize that I am in the minority here in my rating of this book, but it did nothing for me and I feel that it needs something more. Is this a book on climate change? or is it about the water cycle? IMHO the message gets lost and seems to get "wrapped up in a bow" by ending the story on a happy note for blue. Not sure school aged children would read this (pictures are young with minimal text), and this will go way over the heads of preschoolers. I gave this 3 stars for the beautiful illustrations. If you are looking for a good book on the water cycle/weather, try "When Cloud Became a Cloud" by Rob Hodgson.
April 26, 2021
A piece of an iceberg breaks off and floats away. After this unexpected event and a trip through the water cycle, Little Blue returns to his parents.
There are so many curricular tie-ins for this simple story, but importantly the story can stand by itself.
The illustrations are colorful and understandable. The text is appropriate for young and middle elementary readers/listeners. Back matter explains the concept of climate change is terms accessible to children.
Use for Earth Day, conservation, water cycle, coping with change.
There are so many curricular tie-ins for this simple story, but importantly the story can stand by itself.
The illustrations are colorful and understandable. The text is appropriate for young and middle elementary readers/listeners. Back matter explains the concept of climate change is terms accessible to children.
Use for Earth Day, conservation, water cycle, coping with change.
May 26, 2021
I really love this picture book for children. I first came to know about this book because of the illustrator - Grant Snider, as he is one of my favourite illustrators. This time, he uses collage in his illustrations, which added dimension and fun to read. Also, the content by Travis Jonker was superb, it was a story about Blue, a little iceberg in North Pole, and its adventure through the life cycle of water. It could also extend to be eco education, or even life education. Highly recommend this story book.
January 19, 2022
Fairly simple story that manages to include the water cycle.
Perhaps implies more agency than clouds have. :-)
Maybe a little disturbing when Blue is separated from their parents?
Also some shades of climate change because of the melting iceberg.
For a more detailed book, pair with City of Water for information on how water gets to our homes.
Perhaps implies more agency than clouds have. :-)
Maybe a little disturbing when Blue is separated from their parents?
Also some shades of climate change because of the melting iceberg.
For a more detailed book, pair with City of Water for information on how water gets to our homes.
May 12, 2021
I was going to try this book for pre-k storytime, but I think it would work better for a school-age audience as an introduction to the water cycle. There are some pages in the book that can be quite scary for little ones such as when the child iceberg gets separated from the parents iceberg and starts floating away in the dark night. It's not a brief separation across the wide ocean and the pre-k kids may not grasp what actually is going on.
June 26, 2021
Lovely way to teach the water cycle to younger readers.
Blue the iceberg breaks away from his parents. He travels farther and farther in the ocean and makes new friends along the way. Eventually he melts and then evaporates and forms a cloud. In each state, he makes friends and learns about how to get back home. Finally, he succeeds and snows on his parents.
The underlying statement about climate change comes through as well. Further informative text is provided at the end of the book.
Blue the iceberg breaks away from his parents. He travels farther and farther in the ocean and makes new friends along the way. Eventually he melts and then evaporates and forms a cloud. In each state, he makes friends and learns about how to get back home. Finally, he succeeds and snows on his parents.
The underlying statement about climate change comes through as well. Further informative text is provided at the end of the book.
June 26, 2021
A wonderful story to introduce the water cycle and climate change to the youngest learners. I look forward to sharing this in Storytime next year for Earth Day. The illustrations are wonderful and will work well in sharing with a group. I also appreciate the Author's Note at the end with more information about the water cycle and simple things families can do to help. Bravo, Travis Jonker & Grant Snider.
July 22, 2021
I especially appreciate the way this picture book combines a story young children will relate to emotionally, with scientific knowledge of the water process. As Little Blue gets separated from his parents, young children will relate to the fear he feels, and then the strength he feels when he realizes he can cope on his own. I also appreciate the way the spare text lets the emotions and images carry the story and convey the information.
April 4, 2021
A beautiful story about Blue an iceberg who is destined to leave home and change form, yet remain the same. A great story about the water cycle.
This reminds me a library summer reading entertainer who did a presentation on the same subject. He made up this catchy song about evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Great illustrations!
This reminds me a library summer reading entertainer who did a presentation on the same subject. He made up this catchy song about evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Great illustrations!
April 6, 2021
Honestly- very cute; I initially thought it was just about an iceberg having an adventure, and I was like "...uh, okay?" and then I was like "Oh no he's dying!!" but NO! The magic of the water cycle! I wasn't even mad that I was tricked into a somewhat educational story. Also, I love the collage/torn paper-style artwork.
August 20, 2021
Brilliant! Sweet story about change and transformation. And the water cycle. Excellent back matter. Follow Blue, an iceberg kid, who is unexpectedly propelled on an adventure and journey of discovery and transformation. Can Blue use what he’s learned along the way to find his path back home and to his parents?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews