My Ocean Liner - 2000

Front Cover, My Ocean Liner: Across the North Atlantic on the Great Ship Normandie, A Story by Peter Mandel, Illustrated by Betsey MacDonald, 2000. Introduction by John Maxtone-Graham. GGA Image ID # 20962ea44c

From the DJ Flaps

Imagine this: It is a bright April afternoon in New York in 1939. The breeze is fresh, the ship's flags are flying, and you are a nine-year-old boy about to board the fastest and most admired ocean liner in the world, bound for France.

So begin the adventures of Paul, a boy who takes in every detail of the passengers' spaces—the lavish cabins, the dining room, and the decks—and whose powers of observation later solve the mystery of a lost boy as he leads a search that could have ended badly except for his quick thinking. And he will certainly never forget the great storm at sea, in which he nearly slides overboard.

Most of all, Paul will never forget the great ocean liner SS Normandie, the officers who give him a once-in-a-lifetime guided tour of the ship, and the warm, caring steward and stewardess with whom he becomes lifelong friends.

Equally important to this book are the superb full-color illustrations that appear on nearly every page. Thoroughly researched by the artist Betsey MacDonald, from rare old photographs and illustrations of the Normandie, each detail of the paintings was finally put through a rigorous inspection for accuracy by John Maxtone-Graham (see biographical note below), who has also written the introduction to this book. The illustrations meticulously recreate the grand details of the legendary liner, from its lavish suites and dining room to its bridge and engine room.

So, as Paul finishes his tale with nostalgia for the lost world so vividly recreated in these words and pictures, the reader will share his memories and know much of the look, sounds, and rhythms of the massive ship—and feel the excitement of being on one of the greatest of all ocean liners in its glory days.

John Maxtone-Graham, maritime historian born in London, England, is the author of The Only Way to Cross, the classic history of the great transatlantic liners, as well as of Liners to the Sun and Crossing & Cruising. He has also been a Broadway stage manager, film producer and novelist, and lectures frequently at such institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. He lives with his wife Mary in New York City.

Back Cover, My Ocean Liner: Across the North Atlantic on the Great Ship Normandie, A Story by Peter Mandel, Illustrated by Betsey MacDonald, 2000. GGA Image ID # 20969ab26b

From the Back Cover

"How splendid that Peter Mandel and illustrator Betsey MacDonald have joined forces to document yesterday's Normandie for todays young people! The authors delightful text lets us share the vessels marvels, and, because color renderings of Normandie's interiors are extremely rare, the artist's scrupulous recreations of public rooms, uniforms and deckscapes serve as invaluable touchstones for readers of all ages who yearn to envision Normandie's fabled ambience. Indeed, here is a publishing coup—a children's book that transcends juvenilia by appealing to grown-up bibliophiles as well."

— JOHN Maxtone-Graham, Maritime Historian
The Only Way to Cross, Liners to the Sun, etc.

About the Author

Peter Mandel is a writer of children's books and books about animals, including Say Hey! and Red Cat, White Cat, and also a pet columnist. He likes baseball, Chinese food, walking around the city of Paris and ocean liners. As a boy living in Manhattan, he sailed from New York to Le Havre and Southampton on Cunard's first Queen Elizabeth. Since then he has made two crossings on Queen Elizabeth 2 and one rough trip on the Soviet liner Mikhail Lermontov, which later sank off the coast of New Zealand. Peter lives near the water in Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife Kathy and their cat, Chuck.

About the Illustrator

Betsey MacDonald has illustrated two other children's books, including Scarecrowell, which she also wrote. Living in the northeastern part of the United States, she has spent her entire life on or near the water. She and her husband are avid boaters, and both are certified scuba divers. Betsey lives in Clayville, Rhode Island with her husband, four dogs, three cats and two horses. In addition to illustrating books, she has had approximately twenty-five one-woman art shows in the last twenty years, and teaches chemistry and biology at the high school level as well.

Library of Congress Catalog Listing

• Personal name: Mandel, Peter, 1957-
• Main title: My ocean liner : across the North Atlantic on the great ship Normandie / a story by Peter Mandel ; illustrated by Betsey MacDonald ; introductory by John Maxtone-Graham.
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Published/Created: Owings Mills, Md. : Stemmer House Publishers, c2000.
• Description: 44 p. : col. ill. ; 23 cm.
• ISBN: 0880451491 (hardbound)
• LC Classification: PZ7.M31223 My 2000
• Related names: MacDonald, Betsey ill.
• Summary: In 1939, nine-year-old Paul goes on a memorable five-day voyage from New York to France on the luxurious ocean liner Normandie, the biggest ship in the world. (Children's Book)
• LC Children's Subjects: Normandie (Steamship)--Fiction. Ocean liners--Fiction. Ocean travel--Fiction.
• Notes: "A Barbara Holdridge book."
• LCCN: 00055644
• Dewey class no.: [Fic]
• Type of material: Book