Nicole's Boat

Noreen Mitchell is a librarian with the Toronto Public Library.

This book delivers exactly what the subtitle offers: “a good-night story” to read to a reluctant child at bedtime. Nicole’s father invents a story for her “to sail away by” and invites various animals into her boat to share her journey along the river to the sea, but only after each one has agreed to bring along something to make the boat better. When the Nicole in Father’s story and her friends reach the sea, the day is over, and the “real” Nicole is fast asleep.

The rythmic and repetitive qualities typical of any progressive story are emphasized in Nicole’s Boat by the lullaby refrain which had the boat’s passengers “sailing away to the end of day, down the long winding river that goes to the sea.” The text is beautifully complemented by soft and pleasing illustrations rendered in soothing pastel shades. In addition to Nicole’s father’s ritual, “Good night, sleep tight,” the lovely and haunting blessing which appears as the last page of text will serve to ease a young child into sleep and sweet dreams.