Little Boat [Paperback]

Kathy Henderson (Author)

Book Description

This is a stunning new edition of the Kurt Maschler Award-winning story about the voyage of a small polystyrene boat.Down on the shore, by the edge of the sea, a little boy makes himself a little boat from an old piece of polystyrene, with a stick for a mast and a string tail sail. He plays with it all day long, singing. "We are unsinkable, my boat and me!" But when he turns his back, a gust of wind catches the little boat and takes it out to sea...This is the story of the little boat's voyage across the ocean - its many adventures and encounters, above and below the water - until it comes to land once more in the hands of another child.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A makeshift toy boat floats across the sea, unsinkable throughout its adventures. "Benson's textured watercolor-and-ink renderings of this imaginative journey vibrate with the possibilities of the open sea," said PW. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?With great assurance, a little boy builds a sailboat out of styrofoam, string, and sticks, and plays with it all day, singing, "'We are unsinkable my boat and me.'" But the boat is washed away across the ocean, encountering many perils and trials until it is finally found by another child and the circle continues unbroken. This is a simple enough story, but it's told in rhythmic prose that is lyrical in style and uplifting in spirit. The beauty and grace of the language are enhanced by watercolor-and-ink illustrations that evoke the many moods and emotions of the sea. Together they create a sense of wonder and joy that permeate the entire book and leave readers with a warm feeling. Read this celebration of childhood aloud to feel its full impact.?Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks (June 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1406313351
• ISBN-13: 978-1406313352
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,292,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for adults, too!, April 24, 2001

By 

B. Stewart "homeschool mom" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Boat (Paperback)

In anticipation of several planned trips to the beach, I bought THE LITTLE BOAT for my 2 year old son. I love that it is written without punctuation. It is actually a poem...sometimes verses rhyme and sometimes they don't. The reader gets to decide when and where (and if) to pause. It is up to the reader to provide animated emphasis to phrases and to quicken or slow the pace. I like that. Like a song, the reader provides the "arrangement." When I read it aloud to my son, it sounds very different than when my husband reads it. The more emotion and variance in timbre, the better.

The first time I read it aloud, I was just feeling my way through and it didn't have a great impact on my audience. By the third time I read it, my son was very excited and now asks for this book nightly. If your toddler occasionally turns a page ahead of time, missing half a page doesn't really affect the lyrical flow of the book (and in most places, not even the storyline), which is a great plus!

This book is labeled for ages 4+, and I'm happy to be able to find an interesting children's book with great illustrations that shows a new slant on writing style. Especially endearing is the little song that ties the beginning and end together so sweetly "We are unsinkable, my boat and me." Of course, those words simply must be sung, not read (no matter what the quality of your singing voice may be).

In addition to the lovely poetic style of this book, the simple story of a toy made from scrap styrofoam/stick/string and it's descriptive journey across the sea from one child to another carries with it a multitude of lessons...materialism, nature, ecology, consequences, connection. I just hope my paperback version holds up over the years.

5.0 out of 5 stars an amazing book, a pleasure to read outloud., February 10, 2011

By 

Sarah M. (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Boat (Paperback)

I read this book to my almost 3-yr old son tonight for the first time. I was surprised to find out it was a poem, and it was truly beautiful and enjoyable to read outloud. My son was captivated by it and seemed to understand the concepts quite well. I liked the book so much that I will seek out others by the same author. I think it is printed for the UK, as well as the other works by the author, but I will seek them out. The illustrations are also nice and really work well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous poetry, August 19, 2006

By 

Caroline Kent "inlovewithbooks" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Boat (Paperback)

This book is a poem, illustrated beautifully. I hate picture books where the story is poorly illustrated; this one is great. Both of my children loved this book, and when we go to the seaside, it is still book that someone may request a reading of (even at 13 & 9!) What child at the seashore, playing in the surf, does not think about where the bits of flotsam and jetsam came from? What child does not dream of putting a note in a bottle, and having it turn up in some exotic place? This poem is just about that, a toy boat, escaping from its owner, and finding a new child across an ocean.