Reviews of How Boats Work
PassageMaker Magazine (Nov-Dec 2014): Milt Baker writes: "This delightful new children's book is destined to become a classic. It's the perfect prop for helping introduce young children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to the mysteries of boats. Narrated by Arnold the Anchor, it's told in rhyme, with Arnold taking the lead as tour director and presenting important parts of the boat on his tour. Colorful and entertaining, it offers a great introduction for kids to a motoryacht of any kind...The colorful illustrations are brilliant--fun to look at yet correct in every detail. What a great gift for that youngster you want to introduce to boating! If you have young children aboard even occasionally, keeping a copy on board is a no-brainer."
Excerpts from Amazon.com reviews:
Christine Grab: "We have a boat similar to the one this book is about, so ordered a book for our two year old. It is a cute book written in rhyme, but too advanced for him now. I am sure when he is older he will love it. I wish I had had this book for myself right before we bought our boat as I was totally overwhelmed learning about what all the different components were and how they worked. Everything I had read was in technical terms way above my comprehension level. This little book with pictures and super simple explanations would have made learning what the components were so much easier."
Marjie Carver: "A beautifully illustrated book about how motor boats work. Arnold the anchor and his friends tell what job they do to work together and other parts of the boat to keep it safe, make it go and such. A great book for adults to help explain the various parts of their boats to little kids and grandkids.
Marlin More: "Have you ever watched a large power boat motor by and wondered what it takes to make that boat run so smoothly through the water? Told from Arnold the Anchor's point of view, the integral parts of the boat such as Ryan the Rudder, Diego the Depth Finder and Clara the Chart plotter carefully explain their jobs and are beautifully illustrated. Having cruised on power boats for over 33 years, Umstot draws on her extensive knowledge and experience to create a charming, informational book on a topic rarely if ever adddressed in picture book format."
Judith Buskirk: "Told from the anchor's point of view, this story introduces the reader to the inner workings of a sea-going boat in a lively prose poem. From Engine to Depth Sounder, the intriguing parts of a boat are colorfully illustrated and their jobs explained. Arnold has a starring role in this story when a misadventure (actually from Umstot's own boating experience) causes a commotion. I would want to find this book in every shore-side shop from Ketchikan to Key West and way beyond."
Lois Ludwig: "Speaking in four-line verse rhymes, Arnold the anchor acquainted readers with critical parts of a power boat. Excellent illustrations accompany each explanation. This is a fun read, and children will be pleasantly surprised to have 2 cut-away diagrams at the end marked, Color me!"
Excerpts from Amazon.com reviews:
Christine Grab: "We have a boat similar to the one this book is about, so ordered a book for our two year old. It is a cute book written in rhyme, but too advanced for him now. I am sure when he is older he will love it. I wish I had had this book for myself right before we bought our boat as I was totally overwhelmed learning about what all the different components were and how they worked. Everything I had read was in technical terms way above my comprehension level. This little book with pictures and super simple explanations would have made learning what the components were so much easier."
Marjie Carver: "A beautifully illustrated book about how motor boats work. Arnold the anchor and his friends tell what job they do to work together and other parts of the boat to keep it safe, make it go and such. A great book for adults to help explain the various parts of their boats to little kids and grandkids.
Marlin More: "Have you ever watched a large power boat motor by and wondered what it takes to make that boat run so smoothly through the water? Told from Arnold the Anchor's point of view, the integral parts of the boat such as Ryan the Rudder, Diego the Depth Finder and Clara the Chart plotter carefully explain their jobs and are beautifully illustrated. Having cruised on power boats for over 33 years, Umstot draws on her extensive knowledge and experience to create a charming, informational book on a topic rarely if ever adddressed in picture book format."
Judith Buskirk: "Told from the anchor's point of view, this story introduces the reader to the inner workings of a sea-going boat in a lively prose poem. From Engine to Depth Sounder, the intriguing parts of a boat are colorfully illustrated and their jobs explained. Arnold has a starring role in this story when a misadventure (actually from Umstot's own boating experience) causes a commotion. I would want to find this book in every shore-side shop from Ketchikan to Key West and way beyond."
Lois Ludwig: "Speaking in four-line verse rhymes, Arnold the anchor acquainted readers with critical parts of a power boat. Excellent illustrations accompany each explanation. This is a fun read, and children will be pleasantly surprised to have 2 cut-away diagrams at the end marked, Color me!"