The Race to the Beach!

PreS-Gr 1—All of the zoo animals, including arctic creatures such as Polar Bear, wake up one morning and decide to board a train to the beach, where they eat watermelon, soak up sun, and build sand castles. When Seal suggests a race to see who can swim farthest out into the water, all of the other animals speculate about why disinterested Giraffe doesn't participate—maybe his spots will wash off, or maybe Giraffe can't swim. The race begins, and Crocodile is in the lead, until he realizes his feet aren't touching the bottom. Luckily, Giraffe runs (not swims) out to save him, all while keeping his own head above water. Nobody ever figures out if Giraffe can swim, but nobody cares, because he is brave. Shuttlewood's watercolor illustrations are vibrant, although a few of the two page spreads are so busy that children may have a hard time deciding where to focus their eyes. The plot makes sense until Crocodile, an animal that lives in water, struggles to swim, which may confuse or mislead some children. Some readers may notice that only Hippo wears clothing, in and out of the water.