It seems like we all blinked too fast and now, here we are in August! Although the end of summer is quickly approaching this month, I wanted to share a few tales for you all to carry along in a beach bag or in the car, to soak up at a leisurely pace before you and your little ones have to say goodbye to this sunny season!
Paddington at the Beach Once I turned the first page of this tale, I was immediately transported back to my childhood growing up on the North Shore of Long Island, where I lived minutes away from the beaches along the Long Island Sound.
As our tale begins, a series of mishaps plague everyone's sweet, favorite bear at what was meant to be a serene day at the beach. Paddington loses his bucket as it's carried away by the waves from the safety of the shore. His attempts to enjoy flying his new kite go awry as it snaps in two and crashes into the water. And, a flock of gathering seagulls who witness poor sweet Paddington's peaceful day at the beach turn into a series of disappointments, notice that he has a honey bun in the inside of his coat pocket. They decide to team up to steal his treat! Will Paddington be able to save his snack from the hungry pack or does he have a trick up his sleeve? This engagingly simple tale also makes a perfect way to reinforce number learning skills with your little ones.
Paddington at the Beach
Written by Michael Bond & Illustrated by R.W. Alley
Publisher: Harper, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
For ages 4 to 8
Retails for $17.99 (Hardcover)
Penguin on Vacation
Ahh.... a tropical island paradise. What I wouldn't give to be able to transport myself to a place where I can sit, relax, listen to the waves of the ocean while reading a good book. The very sight of the cover of author/illustrator Salina Yoon's story--featuring a little penguin, clad in a magenta flowered lea, holding onto a suitcase, and clutching a beach ball on the seashore, brought these wonderful thoughts to my mind, as well as an instant smile on my face.
As our tale begins, after dealing with months of continual snow, poor little Penguin decides that the time has come for him to escape on a vacation. But where should he go? Quickly, inspiration strikes as he spots a cruise ship in the distance. "That's it! I'll go on vacation to the beach." He packs his suitcase and sets off, adrift on an iceberg heading for surf, sand and sunshine!
However, as soon as he arrives, sweet little Penguin quickly starts to realize that the warm draw of the tropics isn't quite what he anticipated and begins to feel homesick. A little crab, instinctively sensing Penguin's feelings, kindly shows him that even though the island isn't quite like his snowy hometown, he has so many new things to learn, see and explore on the island. But alas, all good things come to an end, and Penguin bids goodbye to his tropical paradise, and his new friend, and returns home. A surprise comes Penguin's way, in the form of a visit from his pal crab, who, just like Penguin, was starting to grow tired of the island, and longed to see the snowy land that Penguin calls home. And, just as Penguin's vacation ended, little crab has to return home to the island, but he leaves Penguin with a sweet note that arrives in, what else, a crab shell that says, "I shell return." Penguin on Vacation is an absolutely adorable book that shows children in a gentle way the joy of experiencing new places, trying new things outside of our comfort zone, and the power of friendship.
Penguin on Vacation
Written & Illustrated by Salina Yoon
Publisher: Walker Childrens, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (2013)
For ages 3 to 6
Retails for $14.99 (Hardcover)
Flip & Fin-Super Sharks to the Rescue! Flip and Fin, the sand shark twins, inspired by their favorite Saturday morning television show, really want to be able to save the day just like their favorite characters, Sammy Saw Shark and Harry Hammerhead. "Faster than a sailfish! Tougher than a clamshell!" (these words quickly brought back memories of the opening lines from one of my favorite shows when I was young- Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward!)
Swimming around their home in the ocean through the coral reefs, they meet their friends, Swimmy and Moll. All four quickly decide to become super sharks and race to the top of the surface. Zipping and flipping their way through the huge waves, they encounter something very unusual. It was round, and when Flip decided to do a flip on it, this strange thing bounced! Realizing that this bouncy round thing belonged to the humans and that they might be missing it, the fantastic four decide that they will be the ones to bring it to them!
But when they arrive at the shores of the beach where lots of humans were enjoying cooling off in the water and greet them while Flip balanced the round bouncy thing on his nose, the humans get into a panic at the sight of the sharks, hightailing it back to the beach. Will the fantastic flipper four be able to win over the humans? This delightfully goofy tale is a perfect read aloud for the littlest shark enthusiast and is right on time this month for the annual Shark Week!
Flip & Fin-Super Sharks to the Rescue!
Written by Timothy Gill & Illustrated by Neil Numberman
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
For ages 4 thru 8
Retails for $15.99 (Hardcover)
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