Boy Who Wouldn't Swim

August 1, 2008
K-Gr 2-Eric absolutely will not go in the water. Instead, he stays on the pool sidelines, sweltering, with his giraffe float firmly around his waist. When his younger sister takes the plunge, Eric fumes. But rather than showing her that he can do it, too, he pesters her from the safety of the pool deck. Toward summer's end, he finally decides it's time to put his toe in the water, and he goes "from being the boy who wouldn't swim to being the boy who wouldn't get out of the pool"even after the weather turns. Perfectly bookended with endpapers featuring the lifeguard sitting in his chair at the beginning of the season and then poised in the same position but wearing winter gear at the end, this fear-of-swimming tale is ideal for kids who are afraid to take that first step. While there is no reason given for Eric's change of heart, readers who share his phobia will just be glad he did it. Hot summer yellows and cool watery blues abound in the gouache illustrations, which are filled with action and humor. This tale is just the thing for librarians interested in showcasing summer stories."Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
Eric is envious of his little sister who takes to the water like a fish while his own fears keep him from jumping into the oh-so-cool community pool. Bright gouache illustrations in hot summer colors complement Eric's eventual achievement (which, anticlimactically, isn't nearly as entertaining as Eric's machinations to avoid swimming).

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)