Little Boat

In the continuation of a series featuring underdog automobiles and vessels, a diminutive pink and white boat sails from harbor to sea. An encouraging voice accompanies the boat (“Look at Little Boat go!”) and alerts bigger crafts to be cautious (“Be careful not to hit Little Boat”). A sharklike ship ominously looms behind Little Boat, leaving a wake of rolling, purple waves as it passes: “Uh, oh. Little Boat is rocking.” In Gomi’s soothing scenes, fellow vessels, industrial buildings, the pink sun, and a gray storm cloud all wear gentle smiles. Readers will root for the adorable, intrepid subject, which is buoyed by the assurances of a watchful advocate. Also available: Little Truck and Little Plane. Ages up to 3. [em](Aug.) Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the title as a series kickoff. [/em]