July 09 book of the month

Introducing Planet Silas July 09 Book of the Month:

Boats by Byron Barton

This is, without a doubt, a Silas pick. I really had to make it a BOTM based on the frequency with which it has been requested over the past several months. If you are familiar with Byron Barton's books, you will know that he has a very distinct style that's pretty much perfect for a young lad of two. The pictures are simple but bold, and not one unnecessary word is used. The minimal text is quite easy for a toddler to memorize. Silas can pretty much read this one to us, though he prefers that we read it together as such:

"On the water, there is a..." and Silas will answer "rowboat!"
"Here comes a..." "Sailboat, sailing by!"

He quite surprised my friend one day with his naval know-how when we were walking by the docks and she pointed out the tugboats. I asked him what tugboats do and he replyed "they help the ship dock." I credit this book for that moment. Living where we do, we are surrounded by all of the kinds of boats featured in this book, from motor boats to fire boats, to ferryboats, to cruise ships. Silas, being in a stage where he obsesses over any kind of transportation device, could not help but be drawn to this title, and to have the boats that the book features appear in his real life has got to be exciting for him. I can only imagine. I do know that he talks about riding the ferryboat for days after we've taken it. He knows the fireboat is right next to Coleman Dock (where the ferryboat comes in) in Seattle and that fireboats "go to help somebody" by "putting out fires." Also, the wooden toy ferryboat I picked up at last year's Rotary Auction ($3.00!) that we squirrled away till recently is a huge hit. He loads up his cars and drives it to Seattle, unloads and loads it again and drives it back to Bainbridge Island. All of this imaginative play and knowledge started with this small, simple, wonderful book.