PudStar has done swimming lessons for a LONG TIME. Learning to swim is a crucial skill – but for some it is easier than others!
I’ve spoken before about how young children (well all of us really) like to see our lives and experiences reflected in literature – it helps us to know that we are not alone. When a child has a new sibling on the way, it’s nice to read books about babies and new siblings. There is a plethora of books about starting school or kindergarten to ease nervous little heads. There are even books about toilet training and headlice – so that parents and children alike know they are not alone in the horrid battles!
I was so excited about receiving this one in the mail: Gwynne text and Ainslie illustrations = perfect picture book. We follow main character Ruby as she has her swimming lesson and learns about bubbles, straight legs and kicking hard. PudStar’s favourite part of this book was the lovely assortment of swimsuits and swimming caps that Ruby is featured in…the patterns and colours are just gorgeous and it would be great fun to make more swimsuit and cap combinations for Ruby as a follow up activity. This is a learn to swim book for the very young and it’s just delightful.
Well it’s Tim Winton, need I say more? Alice lives near the beach and she loves the sand and playing in the dunes. She’s not scared of many things at all, but she is afraid of the deep. We follow Alice as she enjoys the beach, but not the water until one day when she’s tempted in by some new friends.
Clem was good at lots of things. He was always good at just so many things; well that is how he remembers it. So when he has to learn to swim…he has a bit of a confidence crisis when he find something he cannot do!
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