A Boat Book from Dad...

So last night I was reading books to my wonderful 6 year old son Daniel.  I usually allow him to choose which 3 books we'll read for the evening.  And he usually picks a Star Wars, Lego, Batman or other current literary offering.  Of course, then I send him back for the The Giving Tree, Ferdinand the Bull or another book that might actually teach him something.  But last night he chose a book all to familiar...one from my childhood.  I vaguely remember it and from the shape it's in, held together with scotch tape, it's obviously not just a book written when I was a child, it's my book from childhood.

It's a simple little treasure called The Boat Book by Joe Kaufman.  It's a series of pictures of different styles of boats, from canoes to kayaks to ocean liners, each associated with the type of person usually found in such a boat.  Since it had neither Batman or Spiderman on the front, how could I refuse my child a read on boats. 

Then I opened to the front page and found the inscription - July 30, 1968, Daddy.  It was a gift on my 1st birthday and very touching.  A book from my Dad...and only my Dad?  Why in the world he had chosen this book and decided it was to be from just him and not the usual "Mom & Dad" is very puzzling.  During that time, my Dad was a banker, rising through the ranks quickly and working long hours.  Mom pretty much bought everything and then added his name for good measure and equality. 

So now I have a little mystery to solve.  Hopefully he'll have some recollection of the gift and tell me how he loved the book as a child and had some kindred connection to the book that needed to be relayed to his first born son.  Then again, he may have bought it from someone at the bank raising money for a school activity.  Either way, it's from my Dad and very special.  And thanks to Mom's quiet ambition to save everything from my childhood, my dear Son can now enjoy it as well.  I doubt when Dad gave it to me in 1968 he had any idea that 2 generations would get such enjoyment from a book about boats and a sweet inscription from Dad.