There might be lobsters

Carolyn Crimi

Book - 2017

A little dog's paralyzing anxiety gives way to bravery when someone smaller arrives in need during a whooshy, splashy, overwhelming day at the beach.

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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press 2017.
Language
English
Main Author
Carolyn Crimi (author)
Other Authors
Laurel Molk (illustrator)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 26 cm
ISBN
9780763675424
Contents unavailable.
Review by New York Times Review

Three friends fish on a meandering river. Oliver, an elephant, nabs a fish with his trunk; Lulu, an owl, uses her claws; but Charlie, a rabbit, can't catch any with his pole. They race boats made of sticks; Charlie's loses. His pals cheer him up by building a raftthey all fish from. This is Chase's third book with these adorably rosy-cheeked, mismatched creatures who overcome snafus and stay friends. With creamy watercolors, loose pen lines and easy storytelling, her outdoorsy life lessons sidle up as gently as a summer breeze. THERE MIGHT BE LOBSTERS By Carolyn Crimi. Illustrated by Laurel Molk. 32 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) In Crimi's reassuring story, a little black-and-white dog, Sukie, has an ocean-size fear of the beach: the big sandy stairs, the big salty waves and - especially - lobsters. Her owner, a jaunty tankini-clad girl named Eleanor, tries to be encouraging, but soon she's diving into the water herself, leaving Sukie alone on the sand. When a wave carries offSukie's stuffed monkey, the pup swallows her worries and swims to the rescue. Molk's loose-limbed art in salt-water-taffy hues sets a sunny-day mood perfect for conquering bugaboos. THE SECRET OF BLACK ROCK Written and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton. 40 pp. Flying Eye. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Not many maritime adventure stories feature a plucky girl heroine. Todd-Stanton throws in a monster legend and gives this trippy book an ecological message to boot: Erin sneaks onto her mom's fishing boat to check out the ominous Black Rock for herself; after a scary fall overboard she learns the rock-creature is not only friendly, he's home to an array of sea life. So she has to stop the townspeople from destroying him. The fast-paced story zooms ahead, but on every page the comics-style art is packed with details worth lingering over. HATTIE & HUDSON Written and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 32 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Hattie is one lucky girl: She hops into a canoe each summer morning to explore an idyllic mountain lake. When her singing attracts a dinosaurlike monster who lives at the bottom, it turns out he's a gentle soul. They forge a connection, but the grown-ups decide to eliminate the giant creature. She concocts a clever plan to convince the town he's harmless. Van Dusen's ("The Circus Ship") sleekly painted lake is a midsummer day's dream: saturated greens, glimmering blue water and little red boats you're dying to take for a spin. TOWN IS BY THE SEA By Joanne Schwartz. Illustrated by Sydney Smith. 52 pp. Groundwood/ House of Anansi. $19.95. (Picture book; ages 5 to 9) This quietly devastating book from Schwartz ("Pinny in Summer") and Smith ("Sidewalk Flowers," "The White Cat and the Monk") stirs timeless, elemental emotions. An unnamed narrator takes us through his daily life in a picturesque, run-down seaside town in the 1950s. The boy plays and runs an errand for his mother; his father "works under the sea, deep down in the coal mines." Smith's unsettling juxtapositions - an ocean glints in the sun, men bend over in dark, smudgy mines - echo the boy's poetic resignation to his own future as a miner.

Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 11, 2017]
Review by Booklist Review

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.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2017 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-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. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

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. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

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) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.