Author: Banks (“Stardom Outer Banks,” an English Setter; illustrated and translated by Linda L. Lauby)
9" high x 10" wide; 36 pages + illustrated end leaves + hardcover; full-color illustrations throughout.
 
     Banks’s synopsis: In September 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall just south of Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, North Carolina, causing flooding more than 80 miles along the coast. Highways and roads were under water, and almost a million homes lost power.
     Among the many pictures taken in the storm’s aftermath was an AP image of a sailboat that had landed in the back yard of a home in New Bern. Soon, that photo appeared in newsfeeds around the world. “Whose boat is this boat?” asked President Trump, who joked to the homeowners, “At least you got a nice boat out of the deal.”
     But that’s not quite right. That boat was someone’s home and was well loved by someone who spent a long time renovating it. How do I know this? Why, because that boat belongs to my friend Captain Johnny O’Brien. 
     Stephen Colbert and The Late Show staff published a book called Whose Boat Is This Boat? Comments That Don’t Help in the Aftermath of a Hurricane. It’s wonderful that they’ve written a book about this errant boat, but just like Paul Harvey, I feel the need to tell The Rest of the Story.
     Dogs and boats: we have a great uncommon commonality, which is  revealed in my book. I’ve included all the elements of a good sea narrative: a captain, a boat, a voyage and an epic storm, followed by loss and – we hope – redemption. This seafaring tale is nonfiction, except for the obvious parts that I’ve fabricated. For example, I may or may not be a literary dog who can spin a believable yarn. That’s for you to decide.
     If you ever hear someone ask, “Whose boat is this boat?” you can answer: “This boat is Captain Johnny’s boat!” Let me tell you that it’s a supreme honor to be able to share the story of a boat named Zeus.