THE BOY WHO BUILT THE BOAT

The Boy Who Built the Boat

Adapted by Jennifer McCormack 
from the story of the same name, 
by Ross Mueller and Craig Smith

(Published by Allen & Unwin ,2006)

Down at the bottom of Henry’s backyard is a shed where his dad builds boats. It is a shed filled with tools that hang on the walls and sawdust and big ideas. There are hammers and nails and drills and saws and useful things that his dad likes to keep there because “You never know when you might need them.”

Early one day, when his dad was working in the shed Henry decided it was time he built a boat of his own.

So ...

Henry set out to build a boat that day and he took along a hammer to hammer in all the nails.

And you never know when you might need a hammer.

Henry went out to build a boat that day and he took along a drill, to drill some holes in the wood.

And you never know when you might need a drill or a hammer,

or a drill or a hammer.

Henry went out to build a boat that day and he took along a saw, to cut a mast for the boat ...

And you never know when you might need a saw or a drill or a hammer,

Or a saw or a drill or a hammer.

Henry went out to build a boat that day and he took along a drop sheet, to use for the sails on his boat.

And you never know when you might need a drop sheet or a saw or a drill or a hammer,

Or a drop sheet or a saw or a drill or a hammer.

Henry went out to build a boat that day and he took along a tape measure to make sure he measured everything correctly.

And you never know when you might need a tape measure or a drop sheet or a saw or a drill or a hammer,

Or a tape measure or a drop sheet or a saw or a drill or a hammer.

Henry went out to build a boat that day and he took along his wheelbarrow to see if the boat would float. He filled the wheelbarrow with water from the hose and soon it became his ocean.

He held up the boat for his dad to see, and he said very loudly in his best Captain’s voice, “Good luck to the S.S. Henry!”

The boat bobbled and it wobbled

And it tumbled and it tacked

And the wind was behind it

And the ocean was rough.

The mast was straight and the sail was filled

And it all held together

And the S.S.Henry was STRONG.

He was very excited and his dad was impressed.

He had used all the tools from the shed down the back,

The hammer and the drill

And the saw and the drop sheet,

The tape measure and the wheelbarrow,

The useful bits and pieces that were needed that day.

Henry had put them all together and created something special

He had built ...

A really good boat.