Grandpa’s Boat
Written by Michael Catchpool
Illustrated by Sophy Williams
Recommended for ages 4 to 8
$11.95 / Andersen Press

Beautiful language and stunning water-colour illustrations accentuate this story that addresses loss and the happy memories that result from losing a loved one.

The young narrator recalls the story of his Grandpa’s boat and the wonderful times spent in the boat, how Grandma and Grandpa cared so dearly for The Periwinkle. Each week they would wash the boat with a long handled brush. “The water would splash and drip and they would get soaked – but they didn’t mind.” Each spring they would paint The Periwinkle bright white with a stripe of vibrant blue along the top and, best of all, along the bottom, a stripe of chestnut brown, “just like Grandma’s hair.”

Although it was sad when Grandpa was lying ill in his bed, there was still hope that he would soon get well and take his family for another trip on his sailboat. “But Grandpa never did get up out of that stupid bed.”

As the boat sat dormant, the grandson and his Dad decide they will restore the boat to its original state. With a lot of elbow grease, they hammered and sawed and eventually managed to once again set sail on The Periwinkle. As he held his Grandma’s hand, he dreamt that Grandpa was standing at the wheel of the boat and giving them a ride just as he had promised.

Whether or not you have lost a loved one recently, this is a heart-warming tale that will touch the soul of everyone who reads it.