The Boat

by Helen Ward, Ian Andrew (Illustrations)

Simply Read Books

Genres: Picture Books, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2004

About the author

Helen Ward won the first Walker Prize for Children’s Illustration and twice won the British National Art Library Award. She has also been short-listed for the 2003 Kate Greenaway Medal. She lives in Gloucestershire, England.

Reviews

[Isobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in the book were beautiful with shading and pencil lines. The tale was told well through the pictures and I did not need to read the story because the illustrations told the story.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and touching story about the kindness of strangers.
KS1

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story about a man who lives alone on a hill surrounded by neglected animals he had chosen to look after. His home was just outside a village, who were scared of him. Then it started to rain, which didn’t stop. The old man’s hill was becoming an island and a young boy came across a boat and decided to save all the animals and finally the old man. When the old man was brought to safe ground he was greeted by all of the villagers.
I really enjoyed the way in which this book is presented. The colours used are mostly grey, black and white, which really adds to the story by giving it a dark and scary feel even though the story is very caring. I think the book does well to encompass the feeling of a storm/flood through its art work and does well to set the scene.
Many a morals could be taught from this book. This would make a great class story, especially for early years. Recommended!

[Katie Mote · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about a little boy who sees past peoples first appearances. There is a man in the village that everyone doesn't like and view as grumpy. But the little boy watches him and sees past his grumpiness and discovers that the man has a kind heart. When a flood comes the little boy sets out to save the mans animals and the man himself. The others in the village copy the little boys kindness and welcome the animals into their homes for shelter. This moves the man to see that there is kindness and that he is welcomed. Through the kindness and warm heart of one little boy, the culture of a village changes to one that is welcoming and friendly. It is a book of hope, showing children that sometimes you need to look past the front people portray to find the real them. That there is always kindness within, even if it can feel lost at first

[Ms Doxey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, heartwarming story about being kind. Good to discuss the use of colour as well. Year 4+

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it a 3 because the artistry in this book is phenomenal...I loved the shading, the power of the lines, the simplicity of the imagery. Gorgeous...just magical.

The story? Eh. Not so much. Some really poetic lines throughout ("He watched as it fed and overfilled every stream, until the river between the hills spilled across the land...and became a sea..."), but I wanted more. I wanted to know more about the old man, and the boy, and wish their relationship was more developed, more authentic, and less "forced." By "forced," I suppose I mean contrived. I am a sucker for these types of stories (the loner, set apart from the rest of society because he/she is misunderstood or just unknown, and the one person who cares enough to forge a bond), and wanted Ward to delve into that a bit more deeply. The emphasis on the animals and the townspeople eventually working together is nice...just felt incomplete. (Though, as an English teacher, maybe I'm being a little too analytical? Not sure...)

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Boat" tells the story of an old man who shunned human company and lived with animals until one day a storm comes and puts him in trouble and his only hope for survival is the human contingent he shunned. Thankfully there's one little boy who sees the humanity in the old man and will try his best to save him alongside the titular boat. The story is pretty simple and not a lot happens but, as many other reviewers have noted, it is made by the detailed, beautiful pictures which engage the readers and take them into the book's world.

"The Boat" is suitable for young children, from around 5 or 6 years old up to 8 or 9. It gives a good moral story about there being good in all people and can spark debate in classrooms or in the home. As an adult I can't say I particularly enjoyed "The Boat" as there simply wasn't much to it but I appreciated it for children and believe that there is a place for this book amongst the younger generation.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art coupled with the beautiful quality of writing made it an enjoyable experience to read this book. It's a tender story about the possibility of strangers, ordinary people to turn into saviors. This selection could very easily be used in a social studies classroom. I might use the book as a "hook" to introduce a discussion on Katrina. It would create an emotional connection to the event. Also, it could be used to open the discussion of the ramifications: poltical, economic, cultural, etc that result from any number of the unfortuante natural disasters that happned recently from flooding in nashville, georgia prior to that, and tsunamis in parts of asia.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story about reaching out to our fellow creatures. Almost monochromatic drawings are beautifully detailed.

[Sharon]

Gorgeous. I will read anything Helen Ward writes, even when she is not the illustrator. This one was beautiful.