Island Birthday

In ISLAND BIRTHDAY Riley’s special day is coming, but the mail plane with his gifts from the mainland hasn’t been able to get to the island for days because of bad weather. In a mood that matches the weather, he agrees to help Uncle Harv collect driftwood to make furniture. One thing leads to another as it always does on a small island, and eventually Riley realizes that everything he needs for a great birthday is already right at hand, and an island birthday is special in many ways.

Life on a remote Maine island can be frustrating for a typical kid who misses the conveniences that mainland residents take for granted.

Available wherever books are sold.
Eva Murray has celebrated many birthdays on her home island of Matinicus, 23 miles off the Maine coast. She has chronicled island life in newspaper columns, magazine features, and two adult books for Tilbury House: Well Out to Sea: Year Round on Matinicus Island, and Island Schoolhouse: One Room for All. She is a much-sought-after speaker and performer. This is her first book for children.

Jamie Hogan teaches illustration at the Maine College of Art and is the award-winning illustrator of Rickshaw Girl, A Warmer World, and Here come the Humpbacks! She lives on Peaks Island, off the coast of Portland, not nearly as far out to sea as Matinicus, where she visited and found great inspiration for Island Birthday.
“Riley has to eat dry cereal since the delivery plane bringing the milk is delayed due to bad weather, but even worse, his upcoming birthday will be a bust, as his birthday gifts and surprises will be late. He wishes he could have a “normal birthday, with a bunch of kids my age and presents from a toy store.” But island life, although unpredictable, has other compensations: wild, uncrowded beaches, sparkling ocean water for swimming, interesting wildlife, and a small community of friendly, unconventional people with plenty of leisure time and a willingness to share their lives and occupations with the boy. Finally the plane arrives, along with Riley’s birthday package, and the resulting impromptu birthday party, attended by the whole island, is well worth the wait. Writing directly from her own experiences as a longtime resident of Maine’s Matinicus Island, island pilot, and teacher in the island’s one-room schoolhouse, Murray speaks with the ring of authenticity. Hogan’s lively, brightly colored pastel illustrations bring the distinctive island setting to life. This book engagingly invites young readers to explore a different lifestyle from a child’s perspective.” -KIRKUS

Weight	1 lbs
Dimensions	9 x 10.00 x 1 in
Author	Eva Murray
Format	Hardcover
ISBN	978-0-88448-425-7
Illustrator	Jamie Hogan