There Might Be Lobsters

May 1, 2017

PPreS-Gr 2-Sukie is afraid of the beach. She is only a little dog, and the beach has big whooshy waves and big beachy beach balls-and, worst of all, there might be lobsters. Sukie's beguiling, spot-on puppy anxiety sets the stage for a delightful romp as she lays out her fears in a mounting pile of italic text that begs to be read aloud; each of her internal monologues ends with her fretting about the dreaded lobster ("and she might tumble down on her head,/and then she'd need stitches,/and, besides, there might be lobsters"). Eleanor, Sukie's exuberant young human companion, tries to convince her to explore the beach, to no avail. Only when Sukie's toy monkey Chunka Munka floats off to sea does Sukie dare to brave the waves and the lobsters that may lie beneath them. Sukie's concerns are distinctly doggy-"she might get a shell stuck up her nose"-yet they will resonate with children who have experienced fear of the unknown. In Molk's watercolor and ink illustrations, great swaths of sand and sky set off the humor of Sukie's beleaguered expression and tongue-in-cheek details such as the image of a lobster on a beach bag. VERDICT Charming illustrations combine seamlessly with the text to create a seasonal treat as refreshing as ice cream with sprinkles on a day at the beach. Perfect for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Anna Stover, Poughkeepsie Day School, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2017
A little dog named Sukie overcomes her fear of all things "beachy" in this new picture book.Sukie, a small black-and-white dog that has the look of a hound, will not budge when Eleanor, a child of color with light brown skin and curly dark hair, encourages her to come down the steps to the beach. Italicized text gets into Sukie's canine mind to detail her many fears as justification for staying put with the stuffed toy monkey Chunka Munka beside her. Eleanor brings them both down the stairs, but fearful Sukie refuses to play with a beach ball or to romp in the waves, and her list of fears expands, sometimes varying in particulars but always ending with one about the titular lobsters. "But Sukie was just a small dog, / and the beach ball was big and beachy, / and it might hit her in the nose, / and then it would pop, / and it might be too loud, / ...and, besides, beach balls attract lobsters." But then Chunka Munka is pulled out to sea by the tides, and Sukie heroically swims out to rescue her. There's ample humor in the watercolor, acrylic, and ink illustrations and heaping doses of compassion, too. Sly inclusions of lobsters in the details, in particular, will provoke readers' laughter as they cheer on Sukie and applaud Eleanor's pluck and patience. Just "beachy." (Picture book. 3-6)

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April 1, 2017
Preschool-G This charming story shows how fear can hold us back, and how love can save the day. Eleanor, a ponytailed girl who exudes confidence, takes her dog, Sukie, and Sukie's toy monkey, Chunka Munka, to the beach. Sukie is a fraidy-dog. As she sits forlornly at the top of the stairs leading to the beach, readers get a glimpse of the small dog's worrying thoughts. To name a few, she fears she might tumble down the stairs, get a shell stuck in her nose, be knocked down by a beach ball, orworst of allmeet lobsters. Eleanor deposits the timid pup on the sand and tries to coax her into the water, but to no avail. When a wave carries away Chunka Munka, Sukie springs into action (and into potentially lobster-infested waters), swimming out to save the beloved toy, her anxiety forgotten. The illustrations, done in watercolor, acrylic, and pen-and-ink, beautifully capture the feel of the seaside. Crimi's latest is a warmhearted lesson in how to ovecome paralyzing fears by putting others first.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Worry-filled little dog Sukie visits the beach with her child owner, Eleanor. Sukie is afraid of the sand, a beach ball, and the water--and "besides, there might be lobsters." But when Sukie's stuffed monkey, Chunka Monka, needs rescuing, the pup bravely conquers her fears. Playful watercolor, acrylic, and pen-and-ink illustrations add humor to the recognizable plot and will endear timid little Sukie to readers.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)