Seaside Stroll
by Charles Trevino; illus. by Maribel Lechuga
Preschool    Charlesbridge    32 pp.    g
1/21    978-1-58089-932-1    $16.99
e-book ed.  978-1-63289-782-4    $9.99

An ode to the joys of a walk on a winter beach, told entirely in words beginning with the letter s. Pictures in a mix of digital and traditional mediums show a parent and child, doll in tow, bundling up before heading out for their walk and then reveling in the wintry seaside experience, with its sand, snow, seaweed, and surf. The child examines shells, runs after a flock of seagulls, and explores a tide pool, with unlooked-for consequences, as the doll falls in (“Slip…splash…sink…soaked!”) and must be rescued (“Stretch…snatch…squeeze…saved!”). The text is a nice mix of propulsive word chains full of action and description, and moments of welcome pauses (“Standstill”; “Silence”). Scenes inside their seaside cottage after day is done are cozy (“Sweatshirt, slippers, supper…story”) and in thoughtful harmony with the setting, with the tired child being read a book called The Brave Crab and beach-themed pictures hanging on the walls. Finally, the girl is tucked up in bed: “Safe. Snug. Sleep. Shh!” Full of incident and sensory experience, this is a satisfying and rewarding small adventure. A note on the use and arrangement of the words used in the text, and the beginnings of a list of things one might find on a beach in winter, complete the book.

From the May/June 2021 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.