Boats Float!

George Ella Lyon teams up with her son Benn in this follow-up to Planes Fly! (2013), once again working with Wiggins. From grand ocean liners to boats "so short that fore is almost aft," the Lyons highlight a wide variety of watercrafts while introducing nautical lingo ("A lookout's on the poop deck./ Controls are on the bridge./ The bathroom's called the head./ The galley holds the fridge"). Wiggins's majestic seascapes are postcard-perfect and dashed with hints of humor (a certain butcher, baker, and candlestick maker have a cameo), leaving readers with the sense that floatation is just as miraculous as flight. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2--For those who love the water and those who watch what floats, this poetically inspired look at vessels is the watery sequel to the author's Planes Fly! (S.& S., 2013). While colorful images present each type of boat, text extends the vocabulary well past boat parts (keel, hull, bow, stern, bilge, beam, fore, aft, sail, engine, paddle, oar, poop-deck, head, bridge, galley) to a global adventure of small and large crafts (gondola, skiff, bilibili, sampan, junk, coracle, dinghy). Each page presents a picture "from shore to shore" through digital images and rhyming text. Perspectives change along a river, through the water, under the waves, from the birds above to a cross-view of the galley below, with a soft texture in imitation of the aquatic surroundings. From the smallest toy boat to an ocean liner, this book has all vessel sizes covered, enough to convince readers to stretch out, float, and "be a boat." VERDICT A title both for the very young and those developing their interest in this topic.--Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX