How It Feels to Be a Boat

This poignant yet lighthearted affirmation asserts the uniqueness of each individual and reassures readers that while life is complex, sometimes messy, and even occasionally catastrophic, it is all part of the journey. While the topic may seem a bit mature or daunting for very young readers, the story has such quirky sparkle that even if readers don't quite get its meaning, they will be delighted with its sense of playfulness.

Visionary and unique, this is the sort of book one could never predict, but one whose resonance is impossible to deny.

Kwan (Dear Yeti) explores themes of weathering the unexpected and pushing on anyway in an allegorical story that excitedly informs readers, "You are a boat. Ahoy! Ahoy!" Though children may be at the helm of their vessels, the sailing isn't always smooth. Rather than bring in an obvious storm metaphor, Kwan digs into internal conflicts, personified by the passengers occupying the "belly-rooms" of the boat: a cross-section reveals a busy baker, a brass band playing "your favorite doot-doot tune," an octopus, superhero, and others. Sometimes they fight: "When they yell your belly aches, your heart shrinks, and your rooms shiver. You are strong, but sometimes you tremble." After a crash leaves the boat in pieces, the passengers join forces to rebuild it and mend its broken "furnace-heart." In shadowy mixed-media images, Kwan creates a cozy hybrid tugboat-paddleboat that feels distinctly kidlike in its proportions--its very quirkiness, along with its eccentric inhabitants, quietly suggests that we're all a bit wonky and weird on the inside. A sophisticated allegory for the curveballs life lobs and the way we respond, it's tailor-made for family conversations. Ages 4-7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (July)

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