Toy Boat

by Randall de Sève, Randall de Sève

A little boy has a toy boat. He made it out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable, until one day when the wind pushes the toy boat out into the wide lake. Alone now, the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat. How the little boat misses the boy! But if he is going to survive, he must figure a way to do it on his own. Loren Long has a timeless and magical touch. As he did with The Little Engine That Could, he creates a world of toys and children that go right to the soul. Toy Boat will sail into young hearts and stay there.

Praise for TOY BOAT

* "With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary  Little Toot  has an abundance of child appeal."-- Booklist , starred review

"A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly
 

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Adventure, Friendship, Summer, Fiction, Transport

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2007

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This colorful and inviting picture book will have kids crafting their own boats for the bathtub from a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. In the story the boy takes his little boat out to the lake on a string. He accidentally loses control of the string and the boat is off on its own adventures. Will the little boat come back home? Loved all the different boats depicted in Loren Long's lifelike illustrations. One reminds me of Scuffy the Tugboat from the Golden Books of my childhood. I also thought of Paddle-to-the-Sea when reading this one.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy and his toy boat enjoy life together, although the boat does sometimes wonder what it would be like to float free on the lake where he and the boy sometimes play. Then a strong breeze carries him away, and he has the chance to experience life in the wild. It turns out that open sailing is rather dangerous for the tiny boat, who is threatened by the massive waves, and almost capsized in the wake of various larger craft. After a night alone, he is happy when chance brings him ashore, and back to his boy...

An engaging picture-book exploration of a common childhood fantasy - the secret lives of our toys, when they are out of our presence - Toy Boat also makes for an exciting seafaring tale. Young children with a taste for stories about boats and sailing will enjoy author Randall de Sève's narrative, and will be glad when boy and boat are reunited. Illustrator Loren Long's beautiful artwork, with its vivid colors and adept use of light, captures the wild excitement of the boat's journey. Recommended to young sailboat enthusiasts, to any child who has suspected his toys have lives of their own, and to fellow Loren Long fans.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a devoted little boy and his toy boat which, no matter how well-loved, longs for more adventure than staying attached to the boy's string when they go to the lake. One day, though, a storm comes in and the boat and boy are separated. The toy boat finally has his big adventure but will it be everything he'd hoped for?

A cute enough picture book offering proposes that love and home are better than on-your-own adventures, I wasn't quite as impressed as I hoped to be given how much I enjoyed de Seve's other work The Duchess of Whimsy and Long's illustrations in Otis. It might be reassuring for some children who feel that they might want more adventure but secretly want to just stay close to their parents, though I'm not sure I was keen on the idea that so many of the big boats in the middle of the lake were so unkind. Certainly parents want their children to stay close when they are young, but I don't think we need to frighten much about the big, wide world in the process.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think every children's book needs to have a deep, life altering lesson so I tried to ignore the rather strange lesson in this one: staying close to home is better than big adventures.

Instead, I decided it was a cute little story, have thought about trying to build a similar toy boat with my son, and admired the beautiful illustrations.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little toy boat made by a little boy gets a chance to sail in the large body of water. But when the toy boat gets separated, what's going to happen? A lonely adventure out to sea as the toy boat witnesses other boats passing by until it gets a chance at the wind.

This is a cute little story about a toy boat that gets separated from its owner and goes on an adventure out into the water. We get to see all different kinds of boats, from a ferry, a tugboat, a speedboat, etc. They are illustrated vibrantly and features a little anthropomorphic features to give them life. The story is detailed without saying too much in its text too. I do enjoy the nice illustrations, as it's very smooth in design & color, similar to other picture books I read that came from the 90s and much of the 2000s. The dynamic between the boat and the boy is also sweet and shows a special bond, and that there's no place like home after an adventure.

[James]

* "With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal."--Booklist, starred review "A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly A little boy has a toy boat that he made out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable . . . until the day the wind pushes the boat out into the wide lake, and the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat if he is to find his way home. From Randall de Seve and bestselling artist Loren Long, creator of the Otis series and illustrator of The Little Engine That Could, comes a child-friendly adventure sure to inspire imaginative toy play.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I homemade toy boat goes out to see and somehow makes it home again in one piece? Talk about a fantasy! Still, I liked this book very much. The story was fine, but the illustrations really carried the day in this one. The faces on the other boats are fabulous, and the ocean and sky are all so lovely that it makes ME want to go to sea! The message at the end about knowing where you belong and want to be is a powerful one, and knowing that someone you love will be waiting for you even if you wander far is a message kids need to hear.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book and impressed that my granddaughters, ages 5 and 3, made the connection to its similarities to Scuffy the tugboat : and his adventures down the river by Gertrude Crampton ; illustrated by Tibor Gergely. That Golden Book was a favorite to read to my sons, oldest of whom is dad to these girls, so not a big surprise. If you haven't seen it, do read and enjoy especially if you're going to be around the water this summer!

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy and his toy boat (that he made himself) spend most days at the beach, with the toy boat out in the water. The toy boat dreams of being like the real boats it spots, but when the line connecting the little boy and his boat is broken, the two are separated. After spending time out on the water with real-life boats (who each act snobby), the toy boat is excited to be re-united with its boy.

A nice story about aspirations and home.

[Ashley Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, my boys ages 8 and 9 have always loved it, about how sometimes you can feel small in a big world and sometimes you want things that do not turn out to be what you think. The art is absolutely lovely and the use of color brings life to the text. Highly recommend.

[Alison T. Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think anyone who ever tried to make a boat to sail down a stream or on a body of water will relate to this story. Kids will like seeing all the different types of boats that come along and tell the toy boat to "move along!" But nothing about it really grabbed my attention.

[MindfulMuslimReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

We rate children's books for virtue, language, story, and beauty and flag content advisories when needed.

Read more at MindfulMuslimReader.com.
“Books Worth Reading”

[C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My children really enjoyed this one, and I enjoyed the illustrations, but I have to agree with many of the other reviewers here--the "moral" of the story, such as it is, is just odd. As others have described, the boat at first is interested in having adventures--but it's clear that it has no agency of its own. So there isn't any real moral about choosing adventure over home and learning that the world can be dangerous. The mechanism for letting the boat have its adventure was weak and improbable--because of a sudden storm, the boy's mother grabs him so abruptly that he drops the string. [SPOILER] I had no trouble with the improbable, if not impossible, happy ending in which the boat makes it home to its boy--it is a book for children, after all. But the boat makes it home by luck, through the help of a real boat and good wind. So why is the conclusion that the boy sometimes lets the boat go again, "knowing" it will come home (when it can't choose to, even if it has somehow "learned a lesson")? I wanted to see the story be a little more about the love the boy had for the boat--by seeing him jump in and swim out to meet the boat when it came within sight of shore ... which he did not.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think kids will be caught up in the adventure of this and be slightly on edge as Toy Boat gets lost in the scary storm.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible illustrations! Absolutely life-like. It is a story of a boy and his toy boat. They do everything together until one day the boy loses the boat at sea.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book about boats!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

well that was adorable and heart-smushing.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a boy's toy boat that sails away on an adventure. It is a very cute story and would be good for an elementary read aloud.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated take on Scuffy the Tugboat. In this story the boat isn’t so much entitled, but more wistful. Illustrations are, of course, lovely.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, engaging tale.

[Perkins Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute read

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checked out from Kilbourn Public Library 📚

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome little book. Nice story. We all enjoyed it.

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4-year old son loved this story.

[Stephen Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book of one's finding their self-confidence despite being alone, afraid, and encountering adversity!

One beautifully illustrated story!

Bravo Randal de Seve and Loren Long!

[Sarah Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! The biggest thing that captured me was the unbelievable pictures and colors. The drawings of the boats and the crashing of the waves was done beautifully. Colors and pictures are one of the biggest things that draws children into paying attention to the story. I could see little boys especially loving this book because of the many different boats.

This story also had a very cute message. Even though the little toy boat got away from the boy, it was constantly searching for that safe and homey feeling. The toy boat was faced with so many trials but it never gave up on finding its way back to the boy. This is a great way to show children that they can always come home and should never give up. There will always be problems in lives, but it takes the determination of that person to push through and have faith.

[Stephanie Croaning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a young boy and his homemade toy boat. The boy takes the boat everywhere with him, until one day he accidentally drops the string that tethers the boat to him. At first, the boat is excited about his new freedom and anticipates a wonderful adventure, but he learns that the world outside our comfort zone can also be unfriendly and scary. I like the message of the story -- learning to appreciate what is familiar and safe, while balancing that with the need to expand our horizons.

The illustrations by Loren Long really make this book special. They are colorful, endearing, and captivating. I knew of Long from his Otis books. While looking at his website, I saw that he sells giclee prints of some of the images from his books. I kept returning to look at the prints from TOY BOAT, and decided I needed to read the book that contained such amazing artwork!

[Katie Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a boy who makes his own small toy boat. The boy and the toy boat do everything together, including pretending to sail on the lake, until one day the boy accidentally loses the toy boat in the lake. The toy boat is pushed around by other bigger boats, until it meets a nice fishing boat. At the end, the toy boat and the boy find each other again, but it's different because now the boy knows that the toy boat will come back. Teachers could use this book to talk about how the toy boat feels: In the beginning the toy boat is content, but wants more excitement. In the middle, the toy boat gets its excitement and becomes scared and wants familiarity back. At the end, the toy boat is glad to be home, but knows it can go off by itself. Teachers could talk about how the toy boat and growing up is the same. It's a book about becoming independent. It was a good book.

[Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy and a boat that he made out of recycled items. He bathed with the boat. He slept with the boat, and he took the boat to the lake to sail it. He always kept it tethered by a string. One day, however, the boat gets away. The bulk of the story is about the boats adventures around the lake and the different types of boats with whom it comes in contact. The story ends well with the little boat making it back to the boy and resuming its old role.

I like this book mainly because the story is so sweet. The illustrations are nice, too.

The boat is made of old items that the boy is reusing, so I guess the book could be used when teaching about reducing, reusing, and recycling. It could also be used to discuss safety, and how children should be protected by adults. However, this may just be a good book to use as a reader for younger ages.

[Sally Deem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a little boy who makes a toy boat out of materials he finds at home. He always has his beloved toy boat by his side and every day takes it to the lake to sail it. One day the toy boat blows away and has his own adventure on the lake. The boat has longed to be with the other big boats on the lake, but finds out that it's a terrifying world and tries desperately to return to his owner. The tiny but strong boat fights to stay afloat and find his beloved boy once again. The author conveys strong emotions in the words he uses to tell this story. The pictures compliment the emotions perfectly. This book has become a favorite of mine and I read it often to my son. It's a remarkable story and I would highly recommend it.