[[quoteright:300:[[Animation/PoppyDollAndButterflyBartholomew https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/poppy_doll_1982.png]]]]

In a show that has {{Talking Animal}}s or {{Funny Animal}}s, with the animal characters mainly being [[NiceMice mice]], birds, lizards, insects, etc., sometimes you can expect there to be a body of water like rivers, lakes or ponds as the setting. The best way for these animals to have transportation is to use a leaf as a boat in order to travel from place to place.

This is a trope in which an animal character will use a leaf as a boat. It may be a tiny character in a regular-sized leaf, or a human-sized character in a huge leaf from a fictional plant. It can also be used in fairy tales as well as being a common motif in any tale or art to do with little people like fey or fairies.

Often seen in MouseWorld settings.

If the traveller is a [[OurFairiesAreDifferent tiny fairy]] or a LivingToy, the boat can be powered by [[ChariotPulledByCats cute little animals like butterflies, small birds or fish]].

Closely related to LilyPadPlatform. See also TreeVessel.

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!!Examples:

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[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'': Peter's mode of traveling.
* ''Anime/OnePiece'': One of Ussop's many [[GreenThumb plant based tools]] after the two year time skip is Boaty Banana, which produces a giant canoe shaped banana.
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In ''ComicBook/MouseGuard'', Sadie uses one to travel to Calogero.
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[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
* Creator/HansChristianAndersen's "Literature/{{Thumbelina}}" is the UrExample. She escapes from the Toad and her son on a leaf boat, floating down a stream. Her boat is pulled by a butterfly for some time.
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[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'': Bernard and Bianca use a large leaf propelled by [[MeaningfulName Evinrude]] the dragonfly in order to find and rescue Penny.
* This was used once in ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/FunAndFancyFree'', Mickey, Donald and Goofy cross the giant's moat on a giant leaf. Jiminy Cricket also uses one in the introduction.
* Woodstock had one in ''WesternAnimation/RaceForYourLifeCharlieBrown''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', Ray goes out on the bayou in one of these during [[spoiler: his funeral.]]
* In ''Animation/CatCity'', Lazy Dick makes one for himself to ride a river in UsefulNotes/TheAmazonRainforest.
* WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest: Zak and [[OurFairiesAreDifferent Crysta]] ride in a canoe shaped leaf boat at one point.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* The elven boats in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', while not literally made of leaves, use this as a visual motif.
* In Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/{{Otherland}}'' series, the heroes' boat turns into a leaf when they travel into a simulation in which they're smaller than the local insects.
* The tile character of ''Literature/TheTaleOfMrJeremyFisher'' uses a lily leaf as a boat while fishing.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'': While Link is tiny, he can go on top of a leaf and use his [[BlowYouAway Gust Jar]] to propel himself across the body of water.
* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'': Used in TheLostWoods dungeon to go to a hidden bonus dungeon.
* ''VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer'': One puzzle requires the protagonist to improvise one of these after being shrunk.
* ''VideoGame/LegendsAndMyths'': One shows up towards the end of the City of Eyes level. If you click on it, it grows swan-like wings and sails away, only for another to replace it. It doesn't serve any purpose, but it's pretty.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Clumsy uses a leaf boat in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Smurfs|1981}}'' cartoon special "[[Recap/TheSmurfs1981Special5SmurfilyEverAfter Smurfily Ever After]]" to deliver invitations for Woody and Laconia's wedding, with his first stop being the Pussywillow Pixies.
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[[folder:Real Life]]
* Some types of Ants use leaves to cross streams.
* Water striders are predatory insects that "walk" on the surface-tension of still ponds. When they find a dead or drowning bug, they'll drag it to a floating leaf, so they can eat in peace without the risk of being swallowed by a fish from below. Occasionally the leaf then gets washed into a stream and carried off, which is one way water striders colonize new ponds.
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