Yellow Kayak Hardcover – Picture Book, January 23, 2018

I’m giving 5 stars because the book has unique (to me) rhyming words and I love the artwork. I am excited to introduce it to my 14-month-old grandson who loves books, and his daddy is an artist. I think this book will definitely intrigue and fascinate our toddler now and years to come. My only “negative” comment is that the colors are not as intense as they are in the photos—both Amazon photo and my own iPhone photo look brighter than the actual book. I’m not a printer, but I feel like they should have used a little more ink. I plan to compare with a book store to see if this is a less expensive version than they sell in the brick and mortar stores. I do see it was manufactured in China; don’t know if that has anything to do with it. So my first impression was a tad disappointment compared to MY expectation. But I suspect this is how the book is intended to be printed. I’m very pleased with the sturdy paper (not cheap, relatively speaking), and the paper is off-white, which may affect the color perception. So, still, all in all, a five-star children’s book.

I was quite excited to find Yellow Kayak at my local library several months ago. I had read wonderful reviews and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Well, it definitely didn’t disappoint! Yellow Kayak is the newest release from the creative team, Nina Laden (author) and Melissa Castrillon (illustrator) who brought us If I Had a Little Dream (Simon and Schuster, 2017). This is the story of a young boy and his beloved giraffe who embark on a seafaring adventure. The story is told in short, melodic phrases that perfectly capture all of the emotions of the journey. Ms. Laden’s ability to tell a deeply touching tale with such limited text is remarkable. Ms. Castillon truly brings the story to life with her eye-popping illustrations. Her appealing use of color, exquisite patterns, and detail leave something new to discover with each reading. This book was quickly added to my “Must Own” list the first time we read it. I purchased the book last week after having only read a library copy. I wasn’t expecting the delightful surprised waiting for me under the dust jacket. The case cover is absolutely breathtaking! This beautiful story of friendship and triumph will delight readers for years to come.

I purchased this because I absolutely love the artwork and it is in my little book collection I pull out for my niece and nephews every time we have a sleep over!This book is their first pick every single time all the books come out, they haven’t said if it’s the little rhyming story, the art or their familiarity with kayaks but either way this book has been number one for a couple years now! They are now 7,5 and 2!

Purchased this book for a baby shower. Was looking for something different- not your standard Goodnight Moon or Hungry Catipilar eveyone will be bringing and also a book the parents would want to read. Loved the word rhyming, the story and the art work. The mama, a grade school, teacher really liked it. It's poetic and has some word repetition and good vocabulary that coincides directly with the illustrations. Read it over a few times myself before wrapping it up!

My family loves this book! The younger kids (6 months-4 years), love having this book read to them over and over again - it became a favorite right away. The 9 year old also loves the story, and she loves to look through all the pictures in the book. I highly recommend this book! This book is by the author of "If I had a Little Dream", which is another book all of my kids love. Please mark if you find my review helpful. Thank you so much!

This is my new favorite children’s book writer and illustrator team! The illustrations in this book are fantastic! The quality of this book is wonderful. The cover and dust jacket are beautiful with metallic accents. The pages are nice and thick. The story is written more as a poem. It’s very pleasant to read! Love it!

This story is so poetic and beautifully written. The imagery is amazing! This illustrator and author have become personal favorites! I love the vintage feel of this book! It is a short and sweet story for a quick read for all ages!

The illustrations are amazing, as other reviewers have noted. The poem/story is gentle and doesn't shy away from using real vocabulary. I've been stocking up on stories that don't have a bad guy or a witch, as my almost-4 yo is going through a phase where she won't touch those. I love the story in this one that starts out as an adventure, moves through a problem, and of course ends with all being well. However, my girl is still a little freaked out by the boy and his giraffe being lost at sea without any grownups.

I got this book for the illustrations, which are absolutely stunning. The prose sounds nice, but a bit too terse and with a vocabulary that is not so accessible for young readers, yet the structure is too simple for older readers - which is too bad because I do like the storyline a lot. My daughter likes to read it with me, but she mostly loves looking at it.

My son & I love this author. The illustrations and words are magical.

Great pictures and story line but def more for really young kids. Mine were 6/8 and this is a short 3 line rhyme book not in full sentences.

Mel Castrillon has done it again. Her color palettes are clever and warm, and her illustrations are so full of life and detail!