TOGETHER WE SWIM
By: Valerie Bolling
Illustrated by: Kaylani Juanita
Published: August 15, 2023
Publisher: Chronicle Kids
Fiction
In Bolling’s book TOGETHER WE RIDE, we see a father and daughter heading out for their first bike ride. Now, in TOGETHER WE SWIM, a mother is giving her son his first swimming lesson. Many of us don’t remember our first dip in a pool, but as parents, we likely remember the first time we took our child to a pool. There was likely a little fear mixed with excitement.
With minimal words on the page and full-page-spread illustrations, kids will be encouraged to take their first dip in the pool. From the first toe dip to hanging from the side of the pool, kids start to acclimate to the feeling of hanging out in the water. The first time a child gets water in their mouth or goes underwater can be scary. But, reminding your child that you’ll always be right there to catch them helps ease their fears.
The encouraging text and reassurance from Mom with the skills of an older sister swimming in the background give the boy the courage to try floating and swimming. At the end of the day, he is filled with pride in accomplishing his first day of swimming.
If your child has been excited while watching the Olympic swimming competitions, read this book with them. Soon, they will ask to take their first dip into the pool. You never know, they just may be a future Olympic swimmer.
Valerie Bolling has been an educator for twenty-seven years. Valerie serves as the co-chair of the NESCBWI Equity and Inclusion Team and is a member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, and NCTE. She lives in Stamford, CT, and you can check out her website, HERE.
Kaylani Juanita illustrates inclusive picture books, such as Ta-Da!, When Aiden Became a Brother, and Magnificent Homespun Brown, for which she received the 2021 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award. Her mission as an artist is to support the stories of the underrepresented and create new ways for people to imagine themselves. She currently lives in Fairfield, CA.
To purchase a copy of TOGETHER WE SWIM, click HERE.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
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Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, fiction, Kaylani Juanita, swimming, Valerie Bolling