His few possessions include a teacup, which holds 'some earth from where he used to play,' and his journey alternates between terror and serenity. The boy stands on a wave-washed beach beside a wooden boat, apprehensive, yet ready for adventure.

and find another-but Ottley's first spread softens the blow. Young opens with a jolt-'Once there was a boy who had to leave his home. Ottley's (Parachute) ravishing paintings of ocean and sky distinguish this story, Australian writer Young's first for the U.S. This pleasantly minimalist and contemplative story is quietly thought-provoking and arrestingly beautiful.-Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2016 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. There's much to ponder here, and with an ending involving a fellow traveler and her eggcup of dirt, little ones likely have lots of questions about family, home, and belonging. While the journey and its inherent uncertainty is naturally a fitting metaphor for growing up, connections to actual sea travel and subtle hints about turmoil in the boy's homeland suggest connections to immigration stories as well. Meanwhile, the reflection of the sky on the sea is at times so crystal clear that the perspective often goes thrillingly topsy-turvy. Ottley uses glowing tones to great effect in his spare paintings, and his compositions, full of vast swaths of unbroken ocean and with grand billowing clouds in the distance, emphasize the enormity of the boy's journey. As time passes, the cup of dirt sprouts a gnarled apple tree, which sustains the boy until he finally finds a place to land. His journey is marked by both calm seas and stormy ones, dark nights and bright days, and all the while, he wistfully recalls his old life.

With a bundle of belongings, including a teacup containing earth from his homeland, a boy sets sail in a rowboat. *Starred Review* In gorgeously illustrated seascapes, Young and Ottley tell a lyrical tale of leaving home and finding a new one.

Teacup by rebecca young