The Fan Brothers are at it again. Terry and Eric Fan have created a book dealing with loss; the loss of a beloved grandfather to be precise. On the day that would have been Finns grandfathers’ 90th birthday, he builds a (not so) seaworthy ship to sail as he and his grandfather wished to do. And as the stories of his grandfather told about. But building a ship is a lot of work and Finn grows sleepy and falling fast asleep below deck. It is here he dreams that he goes on a grand adventure with a golden fish (who mysteriously looks like his grandfather).
Ocean Meets Sky makes Grandfathers’ stories come alive. These stories he told Finn now have a life of their own and in Finns’ dreams he makes them all come about. It is in this story dreamland Finn has adventures where whales and jellyfish soar and castles float in the sky. Magic and dreams collide here. And Finn can say goodbye to his grandfather.
The illustrations are magnificently detailed. There are hidden gems on every inch of every page. Even pages in the “real world” (or the now) vs the dream world are mystical, magical and grand art. While the story is nicely done, there is little new there. And while we have seen floating castles before, The Brother Fan know how to weave color, texture, style, realism and fantasy into one grand package.
The great thing about this author/illustrator duo is that you can enjoy their signature style in many diffident books.