BENNY LEARNS TO SWIM

In this Dutch and Belgian import, a tiny dog yearns to swim, but his owner says he must take lessons first.

Benny, a diminutive blue canine with distinctive whiskers, really wants to jump into the lake on a hot, summer day. But Sam, a determined young gal with disheveled pigtails, declares that he must first pass a swim test. After all, that is what she had to do. (She proudly shows him her swim certificate.) She decides to take him to the pool for lessons. Alas, the swimming instructor says no. Sam isn’t deterred. “I think I know why the teacher sent you away. You’re not wearing a bathing suit. No one can go into the pool with a bare bottom!” She quickly squeezes him into a pair of polka-dot swim trunks (Benny’s uncertain expression says it all). But he’s turned away again. Will Benny ever swim in the lake? In Meijer’s friendly, informal cartoons, bright colors and stable compositions give an atmosphere of optimism to plucky, earnest Sam’s plight. The story is quite linear and obvious to those in the know, but for readers who don’t have dogs, it could be a shocking discovery. The majority of the students in the class, Sam included, appear white, although some have slightly darker skin, and the swimming instructor has brown skin and curly black hair.

A testament of true friendship.