Search Library Catalog
Illustrated by Irene Haas
The plot of this picture book is summed up by the Library of Congress like so: "A little girl's wish to sail for a day on a boat named for her 'with someone nice for company' comes true”. Maggie's little brother is that "someone nice" and the two of them spend the day on their little boat living the sea life. The boat is fully equipped with a tree bearing fruit, also various chickens and a goat. Maggie herself fishes and serves up sumptuous meals of lobster and peaches with cinnamon and honey for dessert. The day is simple and homey, the only real source of concern a thunderstorm that threatens their serenity towards the end of the day. Even then, Maggie thoughtfully battens down the hatches and plays her fiddle to her brother, tucked snugly in his bed.
I read this book often to my kids. We also had a boat, admittedly with none of the accoutrements that the Maggie B had, but we loved reading this simple book so much because it’s filled with love. It totally gets across a big sister’s imagining of a “perfect day” with a loved sibling. How could you go wrong? Twenty-some years later, all three of the kids remember this story with a smile. We love this book.
Recommended by LouAnn, Genevieve, Anna and Alexander