Every Here Has A There: Moving Cargo By Container Ship, written by Margo Linn and illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald. Charlesbridge. Penguin Random House. 2024. $$21.99 ages 4 and up

 

"The captain must guide the ship, 
not only when the weather is good, 
but also when it is bad. 

The waves rock and roll the ship up
and down. The ocean highway can 
be bumpy! And containers can fall 
off into the sea if they haven't been 
properly tied down."

I think that the first time I ever read about what happens when a cargo ship loses its load to the ocean was in Eric Carle's Ten Little Rubber Ducks (2005). I think, more than anything, I just had not thought much about how goods were transported when they came from across the ocean. That's what I admire about stories. They connect us with the world. We have certainly become much more aware of cargo ships, lost and stolen goods, and supply chain problems that are affecting so many. 

The front endpaper provides a map for the journey of the cargo ship that readers will follow from Hong Kong, through the Panama Canal, to a dock in New York City. It is carrying a shipment of books, and readers will fully appreciate the work that goes into our ability to borrow a certain book from the library, or buy a copy for their own personal book shelf.

From packing the printed books into boxes, to those boxes being transported on a semi truck to the Hong Kong harbor, to loading the container onto the cargo ship for transport, interested readers can watch the many facets of its journey. They learn about the ship itself, its crew, the difficulties of the voyage, and the arrival at its destination. 

The bright colors and full attention given to the ship itself on every spread make it easy for young readers to follow along, and watch as every step of the journey is carefully constructed. The story itself is straightforward; the inclusion of pairs of opposite concepts on almost every page adds depth of understanding and opportunities for discussion as the story is read. 

Stories about container ships are in the news these days. This is a worthwhile addition to classrooms, school and public libraries, and home collections for those kids who have a special penchant for things-that-go!