A cumulative story inspired by many others that have come before, The Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey and Maggie Zeng takes readers on a journey down the river, checking out the sights.

Ben built a boat and he takes that boat on a cruise down the river where he encounters many different types of animals welcoming readers to a river ecosystem.

Jen Lynn Bailey takes her passion for education and environmental science, merging them beautifully to create a fun story that introduces readers to the Northern River Ecosystem, one that would be quite familiar to readers here in Canada. The text flows from page to page with ease and the rhymes flow in and out beautifully. The story really does roll off your tongue and also invites you to linger in the words exactly like a float down the river on a warm summer day.

At the end of the story, readers are treated to several pages of non-fiction content, informing them about the river ecosystem as well as an in depth look at each of the animals featured in the story. Jen Lynn Bailey also invites readers to get creative and think about other animals they may know that live in a river that they could add to the narrative of the story.

Maggie Zeng’s illustrations are so calming and inviting. Big beautiful two page spreads throughout the story give readers the big picture of the river, the animals, Ben and his boat. Her illustrations fully immerse the reader and lend the book to a group reading.

The Boat that Ben Built is an excellent addition to the cumulative story canon and one that will lead to so much more learning and enjoyment.