by Margi Preus
First published 2022
Lily is a small but sturdy sailboat navigating a busy harbor filled with massive cargo ships, quick fishing boats, and demanding tugboats. Everyone tells her to move aside as they rush past. When magnificent tall ships arrive on the lake, Lily watches them sail toward the harbor bridge. She knows these grand vessels need the bridge to lift so they can pass through safely. Lily typically signals the bridge by blowing her horn and calling out, but the larger boats always drown out her voice with their powerful blasts. As the tall ships approach the lowered bridge in silence, Lily realizes they have no way to request passage. The bridge operator won't know to raise it. Only Lily can prevent disaster. She must find the courage to make herself heard above the chaos of the harbor. This story follows one determined little boat as she discovers that even the smallest voice can make the biggest difference when others need help.
Genres: fiction, picture-books
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Harbor, Lake
32 pages · Hardcover · Candlewick Press