FICTION

Beach House

by Deanna CASWELL
illus. by Amy June Bates. 32p. ebook available. Chronicle. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781452124087.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Short rhyming lines tell a tale of an idyllic family summer getaway. Mom, dad, three kids, and their dog arrive in an overloaded car at their beach cottage. Hurriedly unpacking, they rush to the ocean where they enjoy a day full of swimming, playing in the sand, and flying kites. After a hotdog cookout in the evening, they head home to a sweetly restful night—"Tan limbs tangle./Snuggled tight./Rosy noses,/kissed goodnight," and a promise of continued fun—"Tomorrow's/just/a sleep/away." Bates's soft watercolor washes exude brightness and warmth of a summer day, enlivening Caswell's terse couplets with vivacious family scenes.
VERDICT Breezy and fun, this story will make the beach-loving readers long for an outing of their own.
Reviewed by Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY
In this dreamlike description of a family's annual summer vacation at a beach house, short, simple rhyming phrases capture the family's feelings and events of the day: "Breathe salt air. / Squint at the sun. / Hot-foot hopping. / Squeal and run." Bates's airy watercolor and pencil illustrations contribute to the carefree, whimsical feeling, leaving readers dreaming about their next beach day.
, Jul 01, 2015

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