In the days when Nantucket whaling ships could be away at sea for years at a time, a vessel's safe return was celebrated by all the inhabitants of the island. Runners would carry the joyous news as soon as the vessel was sighted from the island's highest point. When Obadiah is hired for this important task, his little sister Rachel is certain that she can be trusted with such a mission as well. Their childlike competition plays out in a delightful story of determination and sportsmanship. Illustrated with Turkle's whimsical watercolor illustrations throughout. Beautiful Feet Books, in cooperation with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and Brinton Turkle's grown children--Matilda Rubin, and Haynes and Jonathan Turkle--are delighted to present these new 2018 editions of the Obadiah books for the next generation of readers. Working with Mr. Turkle's original charcoal and watercolor paintings, we have endeavored to restore the integrity, clarity, and beauty of the artist's work. Turkle's engaging little Quaker boy takes a back seat here to little sister Rachel. All Nantucket awaits the Speedwell's return from sea; miller Jacob Slade is primed to spot the ship from his hilltop; and the two children run a race to see which of them will qualify to bring the news to the captain's wife. No girl has ever carried such a message before, but miller Slade is willing to give Rachel a chance, and Obadiah cockily gives her a head start--but then, true hare to her tortoise, he stops to pick a bushel of blackberries on the way. And so Rachel is first to return to the mill, where Slade is waiting to send her back to town--for there, as he shows her through the spyglass, are the sails and the ""all's well"" flags of the approaching Speedwell. More than previous Obadiah stories, this seems manufactured to order, but it's a strong order and Turkle fills it with his usual loving care. Rachel as pictured is as winning as her brother, and a return visit to Turkle's Nantucket is always a pleasure. -- Kirkus Review Brinton Turkle was born in Ohio in 1915. He worked most of his life in New Mexico and New York writing books for children and illustrating 82 of them. He had an ambition to write and illustrate three children's books so he could dedicate them to each of his three children. In 1970 he was awarded the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his book Thy Friend, Obadiah . The Obadiah books reflect the beauty and simplicity of his Quaker beliefs, which he expressed this way: In writing, I use all sorts of tricks to capture the attention of my young audience: suspense, humor and even charm, when I can muster it. But no matter how successfully I may entertain, I am really up to something else: subversion. My abilities are implacably lined up against the hypocrisy, materialism, and brutality that so pervade our society. As my readers leave childhood behind, I hope that they will carry with them an appreciation for such alternatives as integrity, mutual respect, kindness, and reverence for life. These alternatives are in my books, and I pray that exposure to them will play a part in the construction of a better tomorrow.