A boat.
A rainy day.
An adventure."
You know that I have a love for wordless books! Given how much rain we have had on the Canadian prairies lately, Float is a perfect story to share with kids who have been dealing with too much time spent inside, and not enough outside delighting in puddle pleasure.
Lucky little guy whose dad folds a boat out of a sheet of newspaper, then allows him the joyous freedom of being out in the rain! As the rain pours down, he protects his boat by tucking it under his slicker. When the downpour lessens, he is off to try his hand at sailing that boat in nearby puddles ... and splashing, leaping, pouncing through the accumulated moisture.
Placing his boat in a quick moving water stream, he chases after it. It is tough work to keep up; he makes a stop when he needs to check for traffic. By the time he catches up, the boat heads straight for a drainage pipe, washes through and comes out ruined. Downhearted, he returns home - soggy piece of newspaper in hand.
Dad provides a warm hug, clean and dry clothes, and a hair dryer. After a shared hot chocolate, Dad sets himself to work with another sheet of newspaper. Just as the original sheet had a picture of a sailboat, this one sports a jet. Another brilliant creation, a clear and sunny sky - there's a brand new adventure to be had.
Daniel Miyares' digital artwork is brilliantly presented in drab grays with bold splashes of bright yellow. This book is filled with the joy of simple things, and is a fine story told beautifully without the benefit of text. Everyone can read this book, bringing their own interpretation to it. Perfect for all young listeners, whether they can read or not; it has no language barrier. The pace changes, the perspectives shift, and then returns to quiet comfort.
Endpapers show the explicit paper-folding techniques needed to make both. Save those newspapers, and prepare for the play that is work for your little ones!
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