Illustrated by Victo Ngai

2018 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book

2017 New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids

Publishers Weekly *Starred Review*: “…conversational, compelling, and visually arresting…”

School Library Journal *Starred Review*: “…a fascinating selection that will captivate readers…”

During World War I, British and American ships were painted with bold colors and crazy patterns from bow to stern. Why would anyone put such eye-catching designs on ships?

Desperate to protect ships from German torpedo attacks, British lieutenant-commander Norman Wilkinson proposed what became known as dazzle. These stunning patterns and colors were meant to confuse the enemy about a ship’s speed and direction. By the end of the war, more than four thousand ships had been painted with these mesmerizing designs.

Author Chris Barton and illustrator Victo Ngai vividly bring to life this little-known story of how the unlikely and the improbable became just plain dazzling.

36 pages
Ages 7-10
September 2017
Millbrook Press
ISBN: 9781512410143