To the Beach! [Hardcover]

Linda Ashman (Author), Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It's a perfect day for swimming, building sand castles, and flying kites. But will this wacky family of seven ever make it to the beach? First they need to go back for Fido. Then there's the cooler full of soda. And what about Baby's beloved ducky pail? Even with all the things everyone has forgotten to bring, the unpredictable weather, and the stop-and-go traffic, this family's beach trip is sure to be the best yet. That is, if they (and all their stuff) can get there!

(20050601)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3–Mom, Dad, and their five youngsters are headed for the beach. However, little Katie can't go without Fido, Mama needs the beach umbrella, baby needs "Ducky pail," and Dad…. For each forgotten item, it's "Hit the brakes! Reverse the car!…Weave through cars. Avoid a crash.…tires screech!" Finally, when everything is retrieved and they are on their way, a storm hits. And, just when everyone and everything is safely in the garage, the sun reappears! Out come the beach chairs, the cooler, the wading pool, snacks, mud pies. So who needs a beach to play in the water and sun when you have a backyard? Rhyming text and bouncy and boldly colored illustrations in acrylic on watercolor paper capture the frenzy surrounding this hilarious, truly not-to-be-undone, fiercely determined to have a good time family. A rip-roaring fun read-aloud.–Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. As bright as a box of Popsicles, this sunny picture book puts a lighthearted spin on a day of family chaos. Packed into a minivan, a large family heads for the beach, but the dog has been left behind. Circling back for Fido is only the first of a series of return trips for forgotten items--until a rainstorm hits, and the family returns home for good. An upbeat ending finds the family cheerfully re-creating its beach day by sunbathing on the lawn. The short, rhyming text scans with an easy bouncing beat as it maintains the story's stop-and-go tension: ^B"That was it! / We're packed at last. / We're on the highway, moving fast! / . . . Oh, no . . . / A thunder crack . . . A sudden storm! / We're turning back." Wescott's ink-and-watercolor pictures extend the comical pandemonium in the car, with detailed rear-window views of wild siblings and the roof's precarious tower of beach loot. Pair this perfect warm-weather read-aloud with Phyllis Root's Rattletrap Car (2001), another story of a family outing gone hilariously awry. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152164901
• ISBN-13: 978-0152164904
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Ashman's books have been named to the "best of the year" lists of the New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Child Magazine, New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the IRA/CBC and more. Her poetry and rhyming picture books have been called "as pithy and clever as Ogden Nash at his best" (Kirkus), and reminiscent of Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian and Jack Prelutsky.

Linda lives in Colorado with her husband, Jack Hicks, their son Jackson, and their two dogs. Visit www.lindaashman.com for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Silly book kids enjoy!, January 12, 2008

By 

R. Tucker "mother of 4" (Texas, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To the Beach! (Hardcover)

I ordered this to read to my children's elementary school classes on parent-reader day. I think the story is kinda silly but not as humorous as a magazine review made it sound. The kids seemed to enjoy it, however, and that's what is important!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, January 6, 2010

By 

D. Pethick - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To the Beach! (Hardcover)

My daughter absolutely loves this book! It's an adorable story about a family going to the beach... except they keep forgetting something back home. We've all been there, right?! My daughter asks me to read this book to her over and over again and I don't mind in the least. The fantastic illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott make this one a true gem.

4.0 out of 5 stars To the Beach!, October 29, 2009

By 

C. Hines - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To the Beach! (Hardcover)

My sons(ages 2 and 4) absolutely adore this book. My aunt borrowed it for us (along with a stack of other great books) from the library while we were visiting her at the beach. I was more than happy to leave this book behind as I was so sick of reading it...BUT when your kids love a book this much, you really should add it to their personal library -- afterall books that capture a child's imagination helps encourage a love of reading (in my opinion). My four-year-old now reads this book along with me as he's memorized the entire thing!