Otis, Chad. A Little Ferry Tale. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2022. 978-1-534-48769-7. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-1.

Hey look, Little Toot, there’s a newcomer on the dock and her name is Little Ferry. Ferry is a small boat with big aspirations, and her job is to carry passengers from the mainland to the island and back again. She looks at other vessels in the harbor and observes people admiring the sailboat’s gracefulness, the tugboat’s fearlessness, and the speedboat’s power. Ferry never receives such accolades and feels insignificant compared with the other watercraft, wishing she could trade places with them. She decides to follow in their wake by going fast, facing large boats, and being carefree, but Ferry finds she has trouble doing that. As the little boat sadly returns to the pier with her passengers, Tugboat raises an alarm of fire on the island. All of the boats in the harbor know that animals live there and rush to rescue them. Speedboat and Tugboat frighten the animals as they approach the shore, and Sailboat gets hung up on the rocks. Only Little Ferry, after summoning up her courage, is able to bring all of them on board and transport them safely to the dock. The small boat realizes that her patience and carefulness are qualities that also have value. The message here is to be true to yourself. The author-illustrator has created digital illustrations that bring out each boat’s personality. The drawings of the characters with their large eyes and expressive mouths will draw in young readers.

THOUGHTS: This charming picture book will be a hit with children, who will want to read it again and again. It is a good example of personification. Pair this marine newcomer with the classic Little Toot for a nautical themed story time. Recommended.

Picture Book           Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member