Piper and the Red Boat : Ellen M O'Shea : 9781732102309 : 1732102309 : 01 May 2018 : This beautifully illustrated children's book tells a story of little girl in love with nature who discovers a lost toy boat on a pond in a nearby park. The story also describes the journey the toy boat must take to survive several seasons on the pond. The boat develops friends with wildlife. Piper, the little girl and her family recover the boat and give it a new home. With beautiful and sometimes humorous illustrations, the author introduces different aspects of nature through 33 full color illustrations including paintings of plants, insects, butterflies, frogs, turtles, ducks, dragonflies and wildflowers. This fully author-illustrated picture book is appropriate for young readers as well as a book that parents, teachers and others can read to young children. This is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids--both young and old. A great gift for any occasion.