Ferry Culture
WANNA LEARN NAUTICAL CODE? WE’VE GOT THE BOOK FOR YOU
Alpha Bravo Charlie is a delightful guide for kids, but there’s no reason the grown-up on board can’t use it, too
By EILEEN DASPIN
Got a little skipper or skipper-to-be in the house? Help them find their sea legs with Alpha Bravo Charlie, an illustrated guide to nautical codes designed for the 5-to 7-year old set. Signal flags, Morse code, the phonetic alphabet, semaphore, it’s all here, along with lots of silkscreenlike images of different seafaring vessels. We loved the charming descriptions of the flags’ meaning — “The tango is a complicated dance between two people. The TANGO flag is used to indicated a complicated movement that two ships make together” — and the illustrations of the young sailor demonstrating semaphore positions. Over 7? Not a problem. We were as delighted by Alpha Bravo as our 6-year old. Get your Coast Guard on.
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The Complete Book of Nautical Codes by Sara Gillingham, Phaidon, $19.95 (120 pages)
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