A DAY AT THE BEACH

A perfect summer day at the beach includes swimming, gazing at the fish, taking photos, building sandcastles—and two and a half hours in the car! A drive to admire the ocean with Dad turns into a myriad of back-and-forth trips to the house as the two siblings wish for something else upon each arrival: swimsuits, goggles, a camera and sand shovels. On the last trip, Dad drives the pickup truck, the back piled high with everything but the kitchen sink. The two still manage to want something he didn’t bring, but Dad comes up with a clever solution and gives them something they always want—time with him. Too bad he didn’t think of this resolution four car trips ago. While the story is uninspiring, the artwork may motivate young readers to explore materials in new ways. Briant created his unique scenes by computer compositing digital photos of wire and clay figures and cardboard sets. The result resembles claymation. The cover flap states, “[Dad] has just what they need to make their day at the beach the best ever!” It’s too bad that for most of the story, this means a driver’s license and a vehicle. (Picture book. 3-7)