This fun picturebook brings all the elements of a perfect day at the beach into one bright package.  Elements of beach life are listed on each page, such as sand, umbrellas, shade, beach towel, lemonade -- but each page ends with the suspense of "except for" or "but" and the reader can guess what else might be needed for a day at the beach.

 

The best part of Schertle's book is the sing song rhyme of the text:  "Wet, you say? / How did the sand get / wet that way? / A beach needs sand / that's wet and squishy, / waves rolling in / all foamy and fishy. / A beach needs an ocean / sparkly blue -- / better add that, too / now / you're through."  Having used this book and Schertle's All You Need for a Snowman, I can guarentee the books are great for reading aloud.

 

The watercolor and gouache illustrations are bright and summer-like.  According to Gallagher, the illustrations have "a wonderful, soft quality that perfectly conveys the hazy lazy joy of being at the shore" (2004).  Particularly appealing are the dual colored faces and bodies of the children - a mix of lighter and darker shades, making them look perfectly warm and sun-baked.

 

All You Need for a Beach combines simple, rhyming text with bold and bright illustrations to make it an excellent read aloud book.  It also creates wonderfully rich images when being read aloud, so even if it is the middle of winter, you'll be hoping that summer will come soon.

 

Schertle, Alice.  All You Need for a Beach.  San Diego:  Harcourt Books, 2004.  ISBN  0152167552.

 

Gallagher, Genevieve.  "All You Need for a Beach."  School Library Journal  50, no. 5 (2004): 123, http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,uid&db=f5h&an=13074280, accessed 5 September 2004.