First mate Lenny by Elayna Carausu and Sandra Eide

Lenny is born aboard a boat, with waves lapping its sides. From the first welcoming day he has many adventures living on the boat. In the harbour, they are tossed this way and that, as he grows he learns of the environment he is in. He sees dolphins and lizards, fish and birds. Mom dives for fish to eat and Dad collects things from the beach. They give a lift to a girl wanting to save the planet, and all see the amount of rubbish from their boat. They call in at the Azores Islands, and he learns to ride a bike, and makes friends of kids on other boats. Together they get to go to day care, but he is always eager to get back on the boat where he is first mate and helps his parents as they sail across the oceans.

When baby Darwin arrives, Lenny knows just what to do, as he can remember when things were a little scary living at sea, but with his help he will be able to acclimatise just as Lenny did.

Illustrations reveal life at sea, as many of the images are on the boat. Readers will see many of the animals that Lenny sees, and be aware of what they do when they land and stay a while.

Readers will love looking at the things Lenny does, the adventure he has, and the things he learns.

Themes: Friendship, Life at sea, Oceans, Pollution, Family, Adventure.

Fran Knight