Blue Floats Away

Page 1

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.


This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.


This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

words by Travis Jonker pictures by Grant Snider

Abrams Books for Young Readers • New York


This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Little Blue lived near the North Pole with his parents.

They were close.


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Little Blue lived near the North Pole with his parents.

They were close.


One day—CRACK—Blue was suddenly on his own, floating away.

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Blue was surprised. Blue’s parents were surprised.

No one was prepared for this.


One day—CRACK—Blue was suddenly on his own, floating away.

Blue was surprised.

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No one was prepared for this.


“I’ll be back soon!” Blue called as he floated away. This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

But he wasn’t so sure.


“I’ll be back soon!” Blue called as he floated away.

But he wasn’t so sure. This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.


Before long, Little Blue couldn’t see his parents anymore. He couldn’t see anything.

Except this.

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He began to wonder if he would ever make it home again.


Before long, Little Blue couldn’t see his parents anymore. He couldn’t see anything.

Except this.

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He began to wonder if he would ever make it home again.


After days and days of nothing, Blue began to see things.

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New things.


After days and days of nothing, Blue began to see things.

New things.

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Beautiful things.

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Beautiful things.

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This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

He was so happy to have company.


He was so happy to have company.

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Blue learned things from his new friends. About wind and ocean currents. Things that could help him get home.

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Blue planned his return.


Blue learned things from his new friends. About wind and ocean currents. Things that could help him get home.

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Blue planned his return.


But something unplanned was happening.

It was getting warmer, and Little Blue was getting smaller

and smaller and smaller

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until he disappeared.


But something unplanned was happening.

It was getting warmer, and Little Blue was getting smaller

and smaller and smaller This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

until he disappeared.


Blue’s friends didn’t know what to do. So they went on their way.

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But Blue wasn’t gone. He was changing.


Blue’s friends didn’t know what to do. So they went on their way.

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Blue mixed with the ocean water, evaporated, condensed,

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and was transformed.


Blue mixed with the ocean water, evaporated, condensed,

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Soon, Blue began to see things. New things.

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Soon, Blue began to see things. New things.

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Beautiful things.


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Beautiful things.


Blue learned things from his new friends.

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About the directions: East, West, South . . .

and North. Blue set a course for home.


Blue learned things from his new friends.

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About the directions: East, West, South . . .

and North. Blue set a course for home.


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On the way, he visited old friends.


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On the way, he visited old friends.


and bigger. and bigger and Little Blue was getting bigger It was getting colder,

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and bigger. and bigger and Little Blue was getting bigger It was getting colder,

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Until . . .

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Until . . .

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Little Blue saw his parents again. Were they ever surprised.

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Little Blue saw his parents again. Were they ever surprised.

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Author’s Note Blue’s story is also the story of the water cycle. Blue begins as ice, melts into water, evaporates into gas, and condenses into precipitation in the form of snow. The water cycle is happening all around our planet, with water changing from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water vapor) and back again. It makes life on Earth possible. While Blue’s story has a happy ending, polar ice is in real trouble. Temperatures on Earth have been rising due to human-created greenhouse gases. This is called climate change, and it’s bad for our planet! Climate change causes ice at Earth’s poles to melt and leads to more extreme weather—two things that make it more difficult for life on Earth. Here are some things we can all do to help: This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Use less energy. Turn off lights, and walk or ride a bike instead of using a car or truck. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. By using less stuff and by reusing and recycling the stuff we already have, we can decrease greenhouse gases. Take action! Volunteer with and donate money to groups fighting climate change. And write or call people who make laws and ask them to work on solving this problem. By taking care of our planet, we can fight climate change and make the world a better place.


Author’s Note Blue’s story is also the story of the water cycle. Blue begins as ice, melts into water, evaporates into gas, and condenses into precipitation in the form of snow. The water cycle is happening all around our planet, with water changing from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water vapor) and back again. It makes life on Earth possible. While Blue’s story has a happy ending, polar ice is in real trouble. Temperatures on Earth have been rising due to human-created greenhouse gases. This is called climate change, and it’s bad for our planet! Climate change causes ice at Earth’s poles to melt and leads to more extreme weather—two things that make it more difficult for life on Earth. Here are some things we can all do to help: This is Turn an advance, uncorrected proof. Use less energy. off lights, and walk or ride a bike instead Not for resale, duplication, or of using a car or truck. reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. By using less stuff and by reusing

and recycling the stuff we already have, we can decrease greenhouse gases. Take action! Volunteer with and donate money to groups fighting climate change. And write or call people who make laws and ask them to work on solving this problem. By taking care of our planet, we can fight climate change and make the world a better place.


—T.J. To Logan, for all your adventures —G.S.

The illustrations for this book were made with cut paper, colored pencil, and white ink. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Names: Jonker, Travis, author. | Snider, Grant, illustrator. Title: Blue floats away / by Travis Jonker ; illustrated by Grant Snider. Description: New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, [2021] | Audience: Ages 4 to 8. | Summary: Little Blue is very close to his iceberg parents so when he suddenly breaks away from them, he promises to return and, after traveling far and undergoing big changes, he may succeed. Identifiers: LCCN 2020011961 | ISBN 9781419744235 (hardcover) Subjects: CYAC: Icebergs—Fiction. | Change—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. Classification: LCC PZ7.1.J76 Blu 2021 | DDC [E]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020011961

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Text resale, copyright © 2021 Travis Jonker Not for duplication, or Illustrations copyright © 2021 Grant Snider reposting. Book Please not quote without design bydo Pamela Notarantonio toYoung theReaders, finished Published incomparison 2021 by Abrams Books for an imprint book. of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Abrams Books for Young Readers are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below. Abrams® is a registered trademark of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.


This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.


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