With temperatures climbing, one activity that many kids look forward to is swimming. Whether in a pool, lake, or the ocean, splashing in the water is a special way to have fun while trying to keep cool.
However, many kids are a little bit afraid to make the plunge and can feel left out of all the fun. Honestly, this theme hit home with Kyle and me. At almost 7, he can’t swim yet. In Connecticut where he grew up, he was still on the later end, but it’s not unheard of, though by their 6th or 7th summer, most kids are swimming, even though they swim a lot less than those of us in the South. With our move to Texas and a pool in the backyard, he’s on his way, but he still faced his first swim party with trepidation. He wanted to go, but he didn’t want to be made fun of.
Splish, Splash, Splat! brings back Rob Scotton’s popular Splat character (who I first “met” in Scaredy Cat Splat). We learn that Splat dislikes and fears water when he’s forced to take a bath and finds that swim lessons start at school that day, too. To make matters worse, his mom tells him that his enemy Spike is coming over after school. Splat sums it up at breakfast: “This is not going to be a good day.”
Does the day turn out as badly as he thinks it will? Of course not! He ends up in the water after all, and finds out that he and Spike might actually have something in common.
I love the way that Scotton handles fear in a funny yet empathetic way in the two Splat books I’ve read. The bright whimsical art style reinforces this theme.
Rob Scotton is going to be making several stops this week promoting Splish, Splash, Splat!. If you are in Virginia, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, or Texas, check out his schedule.
Jennifer Donovan loves fun children’s books that help kids navigate life without preaching. She can’t guarantee holding to the same philosophy at her blog Snapshot.