My daughter made me read this book again and again. And again. Like another reviewer, I feel uncomfortable with the warships in a book for such young children. That being said, the text in this book has a wonderful cadence that makes it a joy to read. And my daughter now knows about all sorts of different boats and how they go.

We love this book. The illustrations are classic. The text is very soothing, and reads like the waves of the river, the river that flows by the city to the sea.

Come on folks -- I think you are taking this political correctness thing a little overboard (pun intended). You need to think "age appropriate". The reading level for this book is ages 4 to 8 so (surprise, suprise)it might not be age appropriate for a two year old.

On the other hand, I would have no problems telling a child of any age a warship and the people on it are there to keep us safe from people who would want to hurt us. Just like the police officer, the fire department, and even your mommie and daddy who keep you safe too.

Lets be real -- kids love watching ships on the water and this book is just about what you might see there.