As the blurb explains, it was written especially for these few children-- too ""especially"", for the appeal to a larger audience is definitely questionable. The brothers and sisters who enjoy playing boat go out with their father on a real one. One child, Vania, falls into the water and is pulled out --c'est tout. Thus ends a weak story in which too much is made of too little. The layout is poor: script on top of illustrations is crowded; the sun bursting into the line of print causes confusion rather than aids in effectiveness. And, while the pictures seem to constitute a vague attempt at refreshing naivete, they are poorly designed and monotonous.