The First Boat

The First Boat is a lyrical tale of discovery and wanderlust.

A young boy from Maine longs to follow in the wake of a fabled sea captain, to sail the ocean round in a green boat, see whales spouting rainbows in the sky, and find a mermaid. Despite the bullying laughter of many, he pursues a dream to embark upon his own adventure.

This richly illustrated, timeless tale is certain to inspire gentle dreams and become a family favorite.

The story opens just after the world began. A 10-year-old sea captain sails the new world steeped in awesome beauty. Humanity and nature resonate with delight. Whales abound and spray rainbows into the sky. The wonderous world is revealed to the captain. He meets a mermaid in his travels and together they sail looking for pine trees and lobsters. They discover Maine.

Eons pass. Then another young boy comes into the world. He is Samuel from Maine. He longs to sail the oceans like the first captain. When Samuel openly expresses his desire, he is roundly jeered, but not for the reason you may think. This episode exposes the absurdity of bullying, and how everyone will pile on a joke at others expense. Samuel is resolute and eventually launches his own ocean adventure.

Eons pass. And a new generation is invited to dream.

Gregory J Burch received formal artistic training at Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Originally channeling his artistic expression to intaglio printmaking and large-scale oil painting, his attention turned toward carving bas-relief stone sculptures and exhibiting these works for many years while garnering awards. Gregory has experience both before and behind a camera lens: being featured in Joshua Seftel's documentary "Lost and Found", as well as writing, producing and filming a history of Concord Massachusetts. Most recently he has enjoyed exploring the craft of children's book illustration. In 1976 Gregory established the Hawthorne Inn, a boutique country inn, located in Concord, Massachusetts. Gregory and his wife operated the inn for four decades, hosting visitors from around the world, while raising their 3 children, and numerous cats and dogs. Gregory enjoys exploring modes of artistic expression, historic research, collecting Japanese Ukiyo-e block prints, and is an avid gardener. He has also given his time and talents as a volunteer and board member for a variety of non-profit concerns dealing with issues of conservation, art and music programs for underserved communities, orphans, and feeding the hungry. Since 2008 he has attended to the needs of his greater community as ordained clergy, serving as a Roman Catholic Deacon of the Archdiocese of Boston.