The tale of Boaty McBoatface: a children’s book

Boaty McBoatface is ready for departure! The uncrewed submarine is going to Antarctica to study deep currents, and how climate change is affecting the world’s oceans.

You might remember Boaty McBoatface. About a year ago, the UK government asked the internet to come up with a name for its new $288 million polar research vessel. And the internet chose Boaty McBoatface — because the internet is awesome.

The goofy moniker didn’t sit well with some high ups, including the UK’s science minister Jo Johnson. And so the research ship was eventually named the RRS Sir David Attenborough, after the English naturalist and broadcaster everyone loves because of the BBC show Planet Earth. But the name Boaty McBoatface was not lost — it was used for the vessel’s robotic submarine.

I don’t know about you, but just saying “Boaty McBoatface” out loud fills us with happiness. And the fact that this jolly yellow submarine will help science gives us so much hope about the world.

This is why we decided to create a children’s book version of Boaty McBoatface’s adventure to Antarctica. It’s illustrated and it rhymes, so that you can read it to your kids tonight, and teach them about the heroic journey of Boaty McBoatface.