  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2017 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, or—worst of all—meet 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. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 05/01/2017 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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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