Little Bookshelf: Beach Reads for Kids

Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Lulu can’t wait to get to the beach, but once she sees and hears the ocean, she becomes afraid and occupies her time with other things like sandcastles and kite flying. However, when her favorite pail gets swept away by the ocean, it’s a job for Ladybug Girl, who isn’t afraid of anything.

This story shows a lot of different activities that kids can do at the beach and show them that the ocean is not as scary of a thing as it may seem. Lulu works through her fears of the ocean, and this is an excellent book for kids who may have similar fears or just enjoy a good book about kids being brave. This is a great book for kids of all ages.

Penguin on Vacation by Salina Yoon

After a long winter (especially for Penguins), who doesn’t need a vacation? That is the exact thought going through Penguin’s head when he decides to take a vacation to someplace warmer, someplace tropical.  So Penguin leaves the South Pole on an iceberg and makes his way to the beach. Penguin makes friends with a crab, and the two have fun until Penguin’s vacation comes to an end, but it’s not really the end, especially for the new friends.

The colors in this book are absolutely wonderful, and the friendship between Penguin and Crab is shown really well.  There isn’t too much text to take away from the beautiful illustrations and the short but sweet story – a great read, especially for toddlers to enjoy.

Duck & Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills

Duck and Goose are relaxing in the meadow when Goose declares that they should never leave, which immediately gives Duck the idea to leave and go on a trip. Goose started to complain, but they kept going and soon found themselves where they had never been before the beach.  When they finally reach the beach, Duck seems more nervous than Goose and tries to get them to go back to the meadow. They explore the beach, meet new friends, and go on some more adventures until it is time to go back to the meadow.

This book is a cute story about stepping outside your comfort zone to try something new with friends. It also reinforces that while trying to do something new is nice, being home is nice at the end of the day, too, and it is more fun to do with friends. The illustrations are always fun to see, and the fun that Duck and Goose have on their many adventures is always fun to read about.  Kids of all ages will enjoy this book.

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Mélanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel would rather stay home than go on to the beach. After all, there are plenty of things to be afraid of, like seagulls, jellyfish, sea monsters, and coconuts.  So Scaredy Squirrel decides to build his own beach.  Scaredy Squirrel makes the perfect (safe) beach, but there is one problem, it doesn’t sound like the beach.  So for it to sound like the beach, he must get a clean, unoccupied seashell from the actual beach, which will require careful planning (and a lot of time).

This is a cute book that really while Scaredy Squirrel is scared of everything, it is nice to see safety and silliness combined in a book for kids. While Scaredy Squirrel is scared of everything, in the end, it does not stop him from having fun and doing what he originally intends to do (even if he takes a long way around). This book also shows kids different kinds of adventures they can have without traveling too far from home.  This is an excellent book for kids of all ages.

Beach Day by Karen Roosa illustrated by Maggie Smith

This is a great story about all of the fun things to do at the beach.  Like water ski, play in the sand, have a picnic, and playing with friends.  This book is full of wonderful short rhyming text with loads of colorful pictures that kids can really enjoy.  Kids will also be able to enjoy the same activities that the kids in the book did.

This is a great book geared towards toddler and preschool-age children.