PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS : The Pool is Cool & Deep Blue
ABOUT THE BOOK
This bounce-to-the-beat picture book by America’s favorite rapping teacher follows a young son who helps his father overcome his fear of swimming.
Bloop. Dribble. Drip. Drizzle. Splish. Spray. Splash! I’m here with my dad in this cool swimming class! But I can tell something’s wrong and that this isn’t him, Cuz my dad makes every excuse not to swim. I wish I could convince him THE POOL IS COOL!
With rhyming text and vibrant illustrations that capture the essence of summer, this tender story about a father and son will encourage confident and reluctant swimmers alike to overcome their fears one stroke at a time.
REVIEW
A young boy wants his dad to join him in the pool. But his dad never learned to swim. With the boy's enthusiastic encouragement, his dad joins his swimming lessons and also learns to swim. The pool becomes even more fun when dad and son enjoy it together. The boy's exuberance shines through in both words and illustrations. Young listeners are bound to join in on the catchy refrain of "the pool is cool!" The inclusion of many bouncy, catchy words adds to the fun of reading the book out loud. Young readers or listeners could add their own sound effects to the swimming parts of the story. The notion that dad is the one reluctant to swim turns a familiar trope on it's head as the boy refuses to accept his father's excuses and gives his father the push he needs to learn to swim. The art wonderfully compliments the text with the bright colors and the feeling of different textures. A fun read about the joys of swimming and wanting to share things with those we love.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Swimming in the ocean can be scary, until Kayla uses her imagination to overcome her fears in this lyrical story for readers trying something new.
When Kayla’s favorite dolphin floatie loses its air at the beach, she wants to just sit on the sand. Daddy calls for her to play with him and her brother in the surf, but the DEEP BLUE SEA gulps sand out from underfoot, and a wave knocks her down, sending water up her nose. “I want to go home,” Kayla says. “I can’t swim without my dolphin.” But Daddy reminds her that she knows how to swim and even how to hold her breath underwater. He hoists her up on his shoulders and wades into the sea. “You be the island,” Kayla says. “I’ll be the lighthouse.” In a charming sequel to Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike, author Dashka Slater and illustrator Laura Hughes take on another milestone moment, showing that with patience, a parent’s easygoing support, and a creative mindset, a child can gain the confidence to tackle a daunting new experience—and grow from clinging to a dolphin floatie to swimming through the ocean just like a dolphin!
REVIEW
A young girl visits the beach with her father and brother. The ocean isn't so scary as long as she has her dolphin floaty. But the ocean becomes frightening after her floaty gets punctured and can no longer be used. A mishap that ends with water up her nose convinces the girl to go home. But with her father's encouragement and help, the girl uses her imagination to confront her fears step by step. First she pretends to be a lighthouse as she sits on her father's shoulders (he's the island of course). Then she gets closer to the water pretending to be a seal before turning into a floating fishing boat with her motor feet. Eventually she imagines herself as a dolphin as she dives beneath the surface. While overcoming fear is a common theme in many picture books, this one is a bit different in that the girl uses her imagination to overcome her fear rather than as a spark that creates fear. The art, created using acrylic ink, highlight the girls fears and then present readers with a glimpse into the girl's imagination with a recurring red and white striped addition reminiscent of the girls red and white striped swimming suit.
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