Near the edge of the sea, Buckley, a small beaver in boy clothes, lives with his mama, a larger beaver in a print dress: “They didn’t have much, but they always had each other.” After his birthday picnic, Buckley sends a simple, handcrafted boat out into the ocean, telling his mama, “If it doesn’t come back to shore, I’ll know he got it!” A note fixed to the mast reads simply: “For Papa.