PRIVATE BEACH!

A platypus searches for a beach that will welcome her family in this picture book about inclusivity.

On a perfect beach day, Mrs. Duck-billed Platypus packs up all the things she and her seven children need to enjoy the surf and sand. After applying sunscreen to the kids and her egg, she leads them to the area’s nicest beach. Unfortunately, there’s a sign: “No beaks allowed.” Mrs. Platypus thinks about arguing with the buffalo lifeguard, but she’s encountered animals like him before and “she can tell he is not going to listen or change his mind.” After being turned away from eight more beaches, the platypuses are ready to head home until they find other animals who were also excluded. Mrs. Platypus leads the group to an unoccupied beach and makes a sign welcoming everyone. Soon, their sunny oasis is crowded with happy animals—and the private beaches have all been abandoned. With the same energy and theme as Lisa Mantchev’s Strictly No Elephants(2015),this story about including everyone resonates. Lescaut uses an accessible vocabulary and generally short sentences (the beach supply list is the longest one in the book), making this tale well suited for emergent readers. The text varies between direct narration and dialogue, as the young platypuses provide humorous commentary on the day. Martí’s digital watercolor illustrations make excellent use of the amusing platypus shapes, giving readers a charming group of anthropomorphic animals to follow to beautifully drawn beaches.

A clever, funny animal tale about acceptance and community.