The Very Little Voyage
Tomato the paper boat has one sea to cross.
Mila and Gran fold a red paper boat and send it across the puddle on the garden path. Mila blows it, a sea monster wades in, and the boat gets stuck, so she has to find a gentler way. And the boat has a passenger nobody mentions. A funny read-aloud for ages 3–5.
An Again, Please originalAges 3–5English
The Very Little Voyage
Tomato the paper boat has one sea to cross.
After the rain, there was a sea on the garden path. Gran folded the red paper. Mila pressed the creases. Fold, press. Fold, press. “There,” said Gran. “A boat. What’s her name?” “Tomato,” said Mila.
Gran sat on the back step, on the far side of the sea. “Sail her over to me,” she said. Mila put Tomato on the water. She kept one finger on the back, just in case. “You have to let go,” said Gran. Mila held on.
“Off you go, Tomato!” Mila let go. Tomato didn’t go anywhere. So Mila took a big breath and blew. Whoosh! Tomato spun round and round … and sailed straight back to Mila.
Mila blew again, harder. This time, Tomato wobbled out to the middle of the sea. “Hold on, Tomato!” Then something came out of the flowerbed. Something big and hairy, with a waggy tail …
“Sea monster!” shouted Mila. The sea monster walked right into the sea. SPLOSH. A wave rolled out. Tomato rocked. Tomato tipped. “Hold on, Tomato!”
“Pip! Out!” Pip came out. Then Pip shook. It rained on Gran. It rained on Mila. It rained all over the sea.
When the rain stopped, Tomato was stuck on a stone in the middle of the sea. Her front had gone soft and floppy. “Shipwreck,” said Mila. “Poor Tomato,” said Gran. “Shall I fish her out?” “No,” said Mila. “Hold on, Tomato.”
Mila didn’t blow. She didn’t splash. She touched the water with one finger, gently. Plip. A ring went out across the sea. Plip. Plip. The rings reached Tomato …
… and nudged her off the stone. Plip. Plip. Plip. Slow and soggy, Tomato sailed all the way across the sea, and bumped into Gran’s boot. “She made it,” said Gran.
Gran lifted Tomato out of the water. Something on top opened its wings. “Look,” said Gran. “Tomato had a passenger.”
“Hold on!” said Mila. But the ladybird let go, and flew right over the fence. “Bye!” called Mila. “Tell everyone about the sea monster!”
