A little boat. A gentle wobble. A quiet kind of pride.
When Skip the Little Boat starts school, he discovers something every child eventually meets:
the moment the world introduces comparison.
Some boats are faster.
Some turn sharper.
Some shine a little brighter.
Skip begins to wonder if his wobble means he does not belong.
But with the help of a palm tree, a paintbrush, and a few unexpected friends,
Skip learns something far more important than speed or perfection:
Pride is not about being the best.
It is about trying, caring, and becoming yourself.
Set in the warm, whimsical harbor of Harbornook Haven,
this children's story about pride gently prepares children for the moment
comparison first tugs at their confidence.
It offers families a way to talk about effort, resilience, and growing on their own timeline,
making it a perfect picture book for ages 5 to 9.
Skip the Little Boat reminds us that true pride comes from within.
Get to know the creators
Joshua (Josh) Toch - Author
I wrote this book because at some point in every child’s life, the world introduces comparison. At first, children are proud simply because they try. They laugh when they wobble, they explore at their own pace, and they delight in doing things their way. Then one day, someone points, measures, ranks, or labels, and that natural pride trembles.
Skip was created to give children a story before that moment arrives, a way to understand that effort matters, that trying counts, and that pride is something they can build from the inside out. Harbornook Haven is a place where wobbling is learning, where practice is progress, and where pride comes from becoming, not comparing.
After writing the early drafts of this story, I thought about who could bring this world to life, and my mind went immediately to Alyson Guthormsen. Growing up together, I always knew Aly as an extraordinary artist. I still remember a pencil sketch she made of a cat's face when we were young. I remember staring at it for the longest time, amazed by how much life she captured with just a pencil. It was the first time I realized how much emotion a drawing could hold.
Working with Aly on this book felt natural in a way that is hard to manufacture. We share history, we share the landscape that inspired Harbornook Haven, and we share a sense of how these characters should feel. There is a trust and understanding between us that made the collaboration feel effortless. This world grew from both our memories of a small cul-de-sac in Morgan Hill and the ways we grew up beside each other. I know this book in my bones, and she knows me well enough to see the heart behind every line.
There is truly no one else who could have illustrated this story in the way she did.
This book is for any child who is growing in their own way, and for every adult who wants to protect that inner spark for as long as possible.
Check out my 2016 TEDxBerkeley talk here!
Alyson Guthormsen- Illustrator
When Josh texted me that he had an idea for a children's book about confidence and asked if I'd be interested in illustrating, I couldn't have been more excited. Little did he know, it's always been a dream of mine to illustrate a children's story. It's all the more meaningful to collaborate on such a special story set in Harbornook Haven, written by a dear childhood friend.
It became immediately clear that Josh's tenacity, spirit, and heart are beautifully on display in every thoughtful line of Skip the Little Boat. This project means a lot to both Josh and me, and I am extremely honored he has chosen me to participate in bringing the world of Harbornook Haven to life.