MY FAVORITE PLACE

A little girl enjoys an ocean outing with her family in author Maldeniya and illustrator Russell’s (Riana’s Adventures: Aquarium Surprise, 2018, etc.) picture book.

An unnamed young girl with dark skin and long, black hair says that the beach is her favorite place—for many good reasons. In rhyming couplets, she recounts spending time playing in the waves and sand, collecting shells, building sand castles, flying kites, exploring, making new friends, turning cartwheels, and, at night, stargazing. She also rock-climbs with her younger brothers, and their parents sometimes join in the fun to sunbathe or cook barbecue. “The best,” she says, “is when all my family and friends”—a diverse bunch—“get together / And have a huge picnic in the warm balmy weather.” The only sad part is leaving, she says, but she does so with a smile on her face and great memories. There’s no real storyline in this children’s book, but Maldeniya portrays a beach outing as wonderful fun, which could make it a good way to prepare kids for their first visit to the ocean, or a nice seaside-vacation memento. Russell’s illustrations clearly show characters’ emotions and vary from page to page; sandy tones, multicolored shells, and brightly colored swimsuits abound.

A book that nicely conveys a child’s joy during a perfect day at the beach.