THE BOAT IN THE TREE

A passion for boats and sailing is fueled by sibling dynamics. “The day Mom and Dad went to pick up my new brother,” the young narrator tells us, “I built a raft.” Thus begins an obsession that lasts through many challenging projects, including a ship in a bottle made with Grandpa’s help. The young redheaded sea lover makes bigger and more ornate ships, ignoring adopted brother Simon’s pleas to let him be involved. Shelley beautifully renders tumultuous sea adventures, full of whitecaps and mythological creatures. A typhoon blows the boy out of a turbulent sea and back home, where Simon has found the vessel of the title. For the first time, the brothers work together and, using planks as oars, row through a lush panorama of sea lore. Sophisticated illustrations and prose are well-matched, and a valuable lesson subtly presented. (Picture book. 4-7)