5 Picture Books for Boat Fans!

Little Tug, by Stephen Savage 
In this adorable picture book we meet Little Tug—a boat that is not the tallest, biggest, or fastest in the water. But Little Tug may just be the boat with the most friends in the harbor, since its small stature and reliability mean it can help out all the other boats when they’re in trouble. A very sweet story with a message about the power of kindness.

The Red Boat, by Hannah Cumming 
This is a great book for any young readers who are dealing with the fear of moving to a new house or school. Posy and her dog George find a red boat in the yard of their new house, where they play lots of fun games like pirates and picnics. Then one night when Posy can’t sleep she goes out to the boat which takes her on more amazing adventures than she could ever imagine (the moon for one!). Soon Posy is not so scared of new experiences after all.

How It Feels to Be a Boat, by James Kwan
From the first page of this lovely picture book, “you are a boat!” and headed out onto the unpredictable sea. Kids get to explore what it feels like to be a boat and navigate through rough waters. When you are a boat, sometimes you crash on the rocks and end up a little worse for wear, which is something humans can definitely relate to.

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey, by Maira Kalman 
This amazing and inspiring picture book is based on a true story and a real fireboat, the John J. Harvey. This fireboat was once the “largest, fastest and shiniest fireboat of them all” with five engines and 8 pipes that could shoot 16,000 gallons of water. But in 1995 New York City didn’t need him anymore and the boat was headed to the scrapyard. Luckily some friends decided to repair and fix the boat before that could happen. On September 11th 2001, The Harvey was needed once again when two planes flew into the Twin Towers and there were lots of fires that had to be fought. The Harvey battled the fires for four days straight and was afterwards lauded as a hero.

Tugboat Bill and the River Rescue, by Calista Brill, illustrated by Tad Carpenter  
This story is about a tugboat named Bill and his loyal friend, a “rusty and dusty” barge named Mabel who live in the Hudson River. The big fancy ships in the river are a bunch of snooty snobs who look down (literally) on Bill and Mabel. But these steadfast friends soon become local heroes when they bravely rescue a kitten who has fallen into the river. You’ll never look at a tugboat the same way again!