The Boat in the Tree

The adoption of a little brother sets off a series of fantastical adventures. When Mom and Dad bring home little Simón, their older son resists the idea of a new brother and retreats to a fantasy world. He builds a raft and sails to his own island of Bongadongo, creates an entire fleet of model ships, and, using chewing gum, tries to patch up a real boat that he finds along the shore. Simón is persistent and longs to join his new older brother in the fun. But the boy can take it no longer and runs away to find a ship that will take him far from home. A damaging windstorm, and its aftermath, changes their relationship forever. Tim Wynne-Jones creates a fanciful story of sibling rivalry. John Shelley's illustrations reveal how imagination bridges even the widest gap.