Boats Float!

by George Ella Lyon, Benn Lyon, Mick Wiggins (Illustrations)

Set sail into the world of boats in this buoyant companion to Trucks Roll! and Planes Fly!

Sails and engines
paddles and oars
make the trip
from shore to shore.

Boats float!

From steamships to ghostships, to the little and big in-between ships, this fun, rhyming book explores a wide array of boats. The third in George Ella Lyon’s transportation series, Boats Float! Takes to the seas with dynamic illustrations that will keep even the youngest of readers eager to turn the page.

Genres: Picture Books, Transport, Childrens, Storytime, Poetry, Nonfiction, Summer

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

George Ella Lyon is a Kentucky author who has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely plot-less, but quality rhymes.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many boats.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boats float...hmmm, what's the subtext here?

Wiggins' digital illustrations were super fun to look at, in a style that conjures 1930s printed travel posters. The figures, backgrounds, and boats are all more graphic (shapes-based) and he used the digital toolkit well to make the paintings look like old printmaking.

George Ella Lyon's verse is careful and does not devolve into awkward rhythms just to use the expected word or make an easy rhyme. Every few pages she breaks rhythm with a nice caesura to mark a transition. It was surprisingly enjoyable for simple concept book text. I'm convinced--I guess boats do float!

What I'd like to know is how much Lyon had to do with the storyboard, because this feels like a perfect example of a mismatch between the labor of the writer and the illustrator. Mick Wiggins' illustrations certainly look like they took more time than writing the text could have taken. When it takes an entire year of desk labor to make the paintings, I'm curious how the industry justifies a 50/50 pay split.

[Vernon Area Public Library KIDS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boats Float! is a fun choice for young children with an interest in a variety of watercrafts that include the smallest of fishing boats to huge ocean liners, and virtually everything in between. This action-packed story in verse also introduces readers to nautical language set in beautiful seascapes ("A lookout's on the poop deck./Controls are on the bridge./The bathroom's called the head./The galley holds the fridge"). Fans of Anne Rockwell and Byron Barton's boats-themed picture books will not want to miss this one. Recommended for grades preschool thru 1st. Reviewed by: Alyson D.,

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is it with all these books with forced rhymes? To compound the crime, there all ALL sorts of books thrown at you, but it's never fully clear throughout which type of boat is which. And then, there is this GENIUS of logic about the seaplane--because it floats; it's a boat.

WHAT?!

Um, if you follow that type of "logic", then at the very last page where it talks about you floating in a pool, then YOU are a bloody boat. Really.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great read aloud for little fans of transportation and water. The rhyming text is fun and pairs well with the depictions of boats of all shapes and sizes. A fun read for any time of year, but it would be especially fun to read in a coastal town where boats could then be identified.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an a rhymed text with the repeating refrain of boats float one learns parts of various types of boats as well as just the name of other boats. A number of the types I was unfamiliar with.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous in the things-that-go department, for the young reader who loves all things boat. Great rhymes, great vocabulary building, great images. Solid toddler pick!

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid addition to the transportation category that goes beyond tug boats pull ships and row boats have oars. I appreciate the inclusion of boat related vocabulary from the first page "Boats have keels./ Boats have hulls..." The ending felt abrupt which knocked it from 4 stars to 3 stars for me. Great illustrations with the feel of a vintage travel poster but with a fair range of skin colors instead of the uniform white of the originals! The little details like the shark fin in the ship-in-a-bottle and the dolphins in leaping ahead of the ocean liner really made it for me.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little rhyming book about boats! Introduces many different types of boats and the things we use them for. It looks like she wrote a similar book about planes called Planes Fly! which I’ve put on my to-read list.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super fun storytime book with great rhythm, much like a boat on the ocean. The kids also get to learn about all kinds of names for boats and different kinds of boats, and the refrain "Boats Float!" is super easy to get the kids involved in.

[Triston Dutschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an informative story. It is told through rhymes. It teaches students about all the different kinds of boats in the world. Also what makes up the boats. Such as a sail or propeller. This can be a book to begin introducing poems as the rhyming makes it a light and fun read.

[Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! And a great variety of boats!

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about all things boats! I like the art and the boys loved all the different kinds of boats!

[Rebecca Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book for anyone who loves things that float.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

All different kinds of boats and nautical vocabulary gathered into a rhyming text.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative use of rhyme. I think Ryan will like this.

[Melissa the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction concept in picture book form, great illustrations.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about different types of boats and parts of boats for young readers. Preschoolers will enjoy the fun rhythms and brightly colored pictures.

[Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pictures, lots of boats. A current favorite.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book about a bunch of different boats. A little too long for storytime but would make a great read aloud for lower elementary.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells about all different types of boats. My class was very surprised to learn that there are far more types than they thought.

[Venus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Children's Atheneum

In this companion picture book, the Lyons extend their transportation streak to all things boat related. From steamships to ghostships, and every little and big in-between ship, this rhyming picture book explores every kind of boat you can imagine and then a few you may not have thought of.

Illustrated in a 1920's style travel poster look, each spread is colorful and fun, capturing movement and life. Despite the sometimes forced rhymes and some stretching of the actual definition of boat (seaplanes are not boats), I felt like this book had a nice rhythm to it. I also liked the global aspect of it as we explored boats from around the world, which is a great way to introduce other cultures to young ones without feeling forced. If I still did storytime, I think this would be perfect for the preschool set and make some kind of boat craft. If I was feeling exceptionally crafty, I may have even brought a kiddie pool to float them in. Yeah, I was an awesome storytime storyteller if I do say so myself.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

That’s a lot of boats! This may be a fun companion book for a preschool unit on boats. The gentle rhythm that the steady rhymes also make this book nice to read aloud. The illustrations are also GORGEOUS! I could spend all day looking at them.

The only two negatives I see include:

-Lack of repetition. Other than “boats float,” the book doesn’t reinforce anything else, meaning it may not appeal to children who aren’t very interested in boats.

-There is a distinct lack of plot, which would normally be fine, but this book also feels like it ends abruptly because there is no natural resolution.

Overall, not a bad book for those interested in boats and their parts.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful addition for young children fascinated by transportation, rhyming text and resplendent artwork illustrate the various forms of boats there are, and even details some nautical terms. This is not plot-based, but rather descriptive and readers will delight in some of these new words. While some of the rhymes may seem a bit forced and the inclusion of a glossary would enhance the overall value of this piece, it's still a winner. Highly recommended.

[Jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really just okay. Some of the rhymes were very forced, and there was one part where the rhyme just went out the window so they could name several different kinds of boats and mention ghost ships.
Also, the logic of "if it floats, it's a boat" was pretty weird. A seaplane is a boat because it lands on the water? A bathtub is a boat because it can hold a person? YOU'RE a boat because you float?
Just plain weird.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would serve as a great introduction to water travel, as well as the science of things that float. It also expands a youngster's vocabulary with the multitude of types of boats. I'm anxious to try it as a read aloud with the rhyme and rhythm!
Colorful but simple illustrations help bring the words to life.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teacher what I liked about the story was how this book might lead some readers into learning about specific types of boats. I didn't even know what all the different boats were. I found it entertaining and rhyme (I noticed some reviewers didn't like it) helps engage some of our readers just like songs.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming text is a little forced, but it's fun to see all of the different kinds of boats there are. Illustrations nice, but on many pages the faces of the people aren't defined. It could be a stylistic choice to focus on the boats, but then on other pages the people are prominent and full-featured. Kind of nitpicky, but I thought it was weird.

[Kim Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the boat lover, or even to teach something about physical science (how boats float, different boat shapes, etc.) or geography (boats from different places and for different purposes are described), Boats Float! is a nice picture book. Lovely illustrations, rhyming text, lots to learn.