In books written for young children, narrative tension can come from the simplest things. In To the Beach! by Linda Ashman, a family’s would-be beach trip becomes a day full of mishaps as seven family members, packed in their van for an oceanside outing, realize getting to the beach isn’t going to be as easy as they thought.
Hit the Brakes! Reverse the Car!
Someone forgets to make a list before packing for the trip. As a result, the family has left a few things behind.
Any parent – or, for that matter, anyone who has traveled – can relate to that. But big problems arise because each time the family heads back on the road, someone else remembers a forgotten necessity.
First, daughter Kate realizes the dog, Fido, is left home alone. Next, Mom remembers the beach umbrella is in the den, lying next to the tote bad. Next trip out, the baby starts wailing about her pail. Each time the family drives back to the house, Dad runs into the house to retrieve yet another forgotten item: The cooler. The kite. The beach ball. Pulling U-turns and flying though traffic, Mom steers the car back and forth between home and the family’s destination, more than half a dozen times.
At last, it seems like the family will make it to the beach. But Mother Nature shows she has other plans by stirring up a thunderstorm, and the family turns back, crawling through stop-and-go traffic to get home.
Just in time for the sun to start shining again.
To the Beach! is a delightful read steeped rhyme and meter, features that help young children develop their listening and reading skills. Illustrations are in bright, warm colors with enough action to hold a young child’s attention. The story also teaches a valuable lesson (aside from the need to write a packing list before traveling): Sometimes the best family time is time spent at home.
To the Beach! is appropriate for children who are preschool age and older.
About the Author and Illustrator
Other books by Linda Ashman include M is for Mischief, When I was King and Stella Unleashed. Ashman's book, Babies on the Go, was named by Child and Parenting magazines as one of the best children’s books of 2003.
Linda Ashman’s latest book, Come to the Castle! is scheduled for release in April 2009.
Nadine Bernard Westcott is the illustrator of many popular books for children, including Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash and Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, as well as the author and illustrator of The Lady With The Alligator Purse.
(To the Beach!, Harcourt Inc., 2005, ISBN 0-15-216490-1)
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