THE GOAT AND THE STOAT AND THE BOAT

In a castle moat, a stoat and a goat vie for control of a boat.

A stoat is having fun in a small sailboat. A goat jumps aboard uninvited, to which the stoat responds, “This is a boat for a stoat not a goat.” A struggle ensues as the two push and shove; readers will need to rotate the page to see the disastrous results. Even worse, after both animals are thrown off the boat, the stoat is unable to float in the water. When the goat allows the stoat to rest on its belly, all is put right. The goat saves the stoat and earns its friendship—along with joint ownership of the boat. “Now this is a goat and a stoat boat.” The final scene shows the two enjoying a picnic by the castle. Lynas’ verse is modeled after “The House That Jack Built”: “This is the goat / that sat in the boat.” “And this is the goat / in the colorful coat / that saw the stoat…” The rollicking rhyming text and bold illustrations in saturated pastels that look like cut paper make for an engaging read-aloud choice. A QR code on the back cover links to a free audio recording of the book.

Winsome wordplay and rhymes make for steady sailing on this journey to friendship.