Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Claude at the Beach

Claude at the Beach

Alex T. Smith
Fiction  Series
For ages 6 to 8
Peachtree Publishers, 2014   ISBN: 978-1561457038

Claude is a small, plump dog who lives with two humans called Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes. Every day Claude’s humans leave the house to go to work, which is when Claude hops out of bed, puts on his beret, and goes on adventures with his best friend, Sir Bobblysock, who just happens to be a sock.

   One morning, after the humans have gone, Claude decides that he is going to go on vacation. Not having gone on a vacation before, Claude is not sure what to do exactly, but he knows enough to pack “all sorts of interesting and useful things” like underpants, a lamp, a can of whipped cream and other items. Soon enough Claude, wearing his beret and carrying a suitcase, (with his sock friend following him) is heading for the beach.

   At the beach Claude wants to blend in with the other people who are there. For some strange reason they are all wearing underpants, so Claude modifies a pair of Mr. Shinyshoes’ underpants to fit him and covers himself with sunscreen. Then he sees that a swimmer in the water is in distress. The man is about to be munched down by a huge shark and the useless lifeguard is not paying any attention. Claude, who has seen enough television programs to know about such things, immediately gets to work. He has to do his best to save the man before he becomes a shark snack.  

   In this wonderfully funny Claude adventure, the dog who is always willing to try something new and his not so enthusiastic sock friend have a series of adventures that involve sharks, ice creams, a sand-castle contest, pirates, and treasure. Who knew that going to the beach for a vacation could be so exciting?