Boats for Papa

Buckley and his mother lived in a modest wooden house by the sea, leading a quiet life together. The young beaver liked living by the beach. He liked collecting all the things he found washed up on the shore. Most of all, he like making boats. Buckley made all kind of boats - big and small, long and short. The best boats were always reserved for his absent Papa - launched onto the sea with a message of love, in the hopes that they would somehow reach the beloved paternal recipient for whom they were intended. When Buckley discovers that his Mama has been secretly collecting the boats, once they wash up on shore, rather than letting him know that they did not reach their intended target, his response demonstrates both his love for her, show more and the distance he has come in the healing process.

Boats for Papa was a book I picked up mostly on a whim while at work, not really having much idea what it was about. It was an unexpectedly poignant little gem, one which explores loss, and the grieving process in young children (or beavers). I appreciated the open-ended nature of the language here, as Jessixa Bagley never explicitly states in her spare narrative that Buckley's father has died. Although the beaver and his mother both miss Papa, it is possible that he is simply absent from the home - working as a sailor, serving as a soldier abroad - rather than dead. In either case, the young child will encounter a gentle but emotionally truthful tale about living without a much-loved parent. I was close to tears by the end, as it is revealed that Mama, who is also depicted as missing Papa, is a caring and careful mother, one who has taken great pains to protect her young son. The artwork, done in pen and watercolor, evokes the sun and moon-drenched feeling of the shore, and adeptly complements the narrative. All in all, a beautiful book, both in art and text, one I would recommend to anyone looking for picture-books that address grief and loss in a young child's life. show less

A very touching and beautiful story to help children with the concept of loss and grieving.

Summary (Spoilers): Buckley and his mother are beavers that are living a life in separation from his father. It is never explained whether his father has died or has left, and I think that is a great way to introduce children to the idea that grieving is not limited to feeling a deep, emotional loss over death.

Buckley makes boats, all different kinds of boats. One day, Buckley decides to send one of his boats to sea with a note: "For Papa, Love, Buckley". Buckley continues this behavior for a year before finding all of his boats hidden away in his mother's desk. The last boat he sends is fished out of the water by his mother later that night with show more a different note on it: "For Mama, Love, Buckley". show less

Even though this story never explains where Buckley's papa actually is, we see that Buckley still cares and thinks about him. This story contains a strong lesson about appreciating those who care for us. When Buckley discovers that his boats have not been reaching his papa, but have been returning on the tide to be collected by his Mama, he considers her effort and makes his gifts about her instead.Good for lessons about learning to do something better each day as well.

Boats for Papa is a heartwarming tale about a beaver named Buckley who lives in a hut near the ocean with his mother. Buckley makes boats made out of driftwood as his hobby. His mother gives him paints so that Buckley can decorate his boats and send them out to the ocean for his father to receive. Along with making boats, Buckley would write notes for his father and stick them inside the boats. Buckley continues to make boats for about a year until he unintentionally discovers that all of his boats were in his mother's desk. Having realized that his mother has been going at night and collecting the boats, Buckley decides to write a special note for his mother and proceeds to stick it in his next boat. After his mother collected the boat show more at night, it read "For Mama, Love Buckley." I personally like this book because it teaches children about empathy. Not every child has two parents or even one. It is a beautiful story about coping with grief that is masked by colorful illustrations, engaging text, and personified animals. A good activity for children is to let them write a note to someone special in their life. They can elaborate by telling the recipient how important they are and how he/she appreciates the things they do. Afterwards, they can personally give their note to the recipient or ask the teacher to mail it to them. show less

A touching story of life after a family member is gone. The boy picks up driftwood from the beach, and lovingly carves out boats, which he then casts into the ocean for his father. When the boats do not return, the boy knows his father has received his gift. The soft watercolor illustrations match the sweet, quiet, thoughtful nature of the book. The author does not explicitly say what has happened to his father, making this a perfect story for loss on many levels, whether through death, divorce, or deportation. What a touching book to read to your students, but have a tissue handy!

I thought this book was incredibly sweet and very powerful for children of single parents to understand that they are not alone. While reading this book I kept noticing that they seemed to be at Cannon beach until I got to the end and realized the author is from Portland which made this book even more special. The book had a lovely message never to take for granted the endless love parents have for their children and vise versa. I loved how this book took what people consider a tragic situation to a much lighter and healthier perspective. The mother was supportive and proud of Buckley’s boats she never once told him to give up on his goal. I think that’s a very important aspect of being a single mother understanding that it is okay show more and natural for children to miss their absent parent. show less

This book along with the illustrations of the boats were amazing! Made it very easy to fall in love with the characters. A very sensitive and sad ending.