Boats Sail on the Rivers1 / 3

Part One · Christina Rossetti

Boats sail on the rivers, And ships sail on the seas; But clouds that sail across the sky Are prettier far than these.

About Boats Sail on the Rivers

A free Grade 2 story from the Peabody library, Level 7. It has 3 short pages and about 72 words, so it reads in a few minutes.

Words this story teaches

At reading level 7, Peabody's practice works on phonics (sounding words out), sight words, spelling; the level page says what is in each.

The short version

Boats Sail on the Rivers is a short poem that compares boats, ships and bridges with clouds and a rainbow. It was written by Christina Rossetti and printed in Sing-Song in 1872.

Quick facts

Who wrote Boats Sail on the Rivers?

Boats Sail on the Rivers was written by Christina Rossetti. It is in her book Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book, first published in 1872.

To print it or save it as a PDF, tap the ⓘ button above the story, then “Print this story”.

More stories at Level 7

All the Level 7 stories, or the whole library.

For teachers: read it to the class, questions and key
Questions and answer key (5)
  1. What sails across the sky?
    • A. Ships
    • B. Kites
    • C. Clouds
    Show answerC. Clouds
  2. What is the "bow" in the second verse?
    • A. A ship's front
    • B. A rainbow
    • C. A ribbon
    Show answerB. A rainbow
  3. In this poem, what does "overtops" mean?
    • A. Falls over
    • B. Rises above
    • C. Hides under
    Show answerB. Rises above
  4. Which words rhyme in the first verse?
    • A. sail and sky
    • B. boats and ships
    • C. seas and these
    Show answerC. seas and these
  5. What does the poet say is prettier than boats and bridges?
    • A. Clouds and the rainbow
    • B. Rivers and seas
    • C. Ships and houses
    Show answerA. Clouds and the rainbow

For grown-ups: Peabody has no ads, not one, and nothing to sell your child. The Kids Pick, an independent kids' directory, rates its games 90/100. See what other free kids' sites load · Grown-ups, sign in · Already have a profile?