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How Will We Get to the Beach / Como iremos a la playa (Bilingual)

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Roxanne is headed to the beach with a turtle, an umbrella, a book, a ball, and her baby. But the car won't start and whenever Roxanne comes up with a new way to get to the beach, she discovers she must leave something behind. Spanish-speaking children will delight in guessing just what's missing each time in this sunshine-bright romp of a book.

36 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

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About the author

Brigitte Luciani

66 books4 followers

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5 stars
104 (42%)
4 stars
86 (34%)
3 stars
45 (18%)
2 stars
11 (4%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Amy Forrester.
570 reviews16 followers
May 29, 2012
It’s a beautiful summer day and Roxanne is going to the beach. She’s got everything ready to go: the turtle, the umbrella, the book of stories, the orange beach ball, and most important of al, her baby. She piles everything into the car, but it won’t start! Roxanne tries the bus, but something couldn’t go with them. What was it? The bus won’t allow animals on board, so the turtle can’t go. She can’t leave the turtle behind, so the bus just won’t do. Roxanne tries a bicycle, a skateboard, a kayak, and a hot air balloon, but each mode of transportation prohibits one of her items from traveling. Just when she’s about to give up, a farmer passes by with his horse and cart. Roxanne, her baby, and all the necessary beach items are able to get a ride to the beach, where they have a wonderful time.

Originally published in Switzerland, Luciani’s simple story uses straight forward text that helps readers progress through the story and make logical deductions along with Roxanne. The repetitive refrain, “But something couldn’t go with them. What was it?” sets up the story to be a guessing game, keeping readers engaged. The summery watercolor illustrations support the game as well, if you look closely at each illustration the item that cannot go on that mode of transportation will be missing from the picture. The featured items are brightly colored, making them easy for kids to identify from page to page.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Profile Image for Kathryn.
4,498 reviews
June 5, 2011
This is a fun story about a lady who wants to go to the beach and take all of her favorite things: the turtle, the umbrella, the book of wonderful stories, the ball--and, of course, her baby. But when the car won't start, they have to improvise and find another way to get to the beach. But, each of the other transportation methods has a limitation and one of the items wouldn't be able to go. Will it still be worth it going to the beach without everything, or will they find a way to get everything (and everyone!) to the beach?

I love Tharlet's illustrations, and they're very endearing here. Children will probably have fun trying to guess what item won't go with each transportation style.

Personally, the only thing I need to truly love a day at the beach is my husband beside me, but this book is a nice ode to those "extra" things that can make the beach extra-fun and ultimately it's a sweet story about how much the mother loves her baby.
Profile Image for Kate Hastings.
2,128 reviews41 followers
June 22, 2009
One of my all-time favorite storytime books. I made a flannel to go with this and then have the kids tell me which object is missing from each page. Fun! (for one-on-one reading, try to find the little ladybug on each page!)
Profile Image for Samantha.
4,985 reviews58 followers
July 1, 2014
One of my favorite beach read alouds for preK-2, this book presents the problem early (what mode of transportation will take the characters to the beach) and adds an extra fun element: a seek and find of sorts figuring out which of 5 items is missing in each spread.

The pictures are great and even have a little ladybug on every page that kids like to hunt for!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,660 reviews176 followers
June 7, 2015
This is one of the first books I ever used for storytime. It's a great guessing game book, in which mother and baby try to get to the beach using different modes of transportation, and each time, there is something that can't go along. Which item is missing? Sweet, soft illustrations.
September 12, 2018
This book is about a mom who wants to go to the beach with her baby and take a few items along. First, her car would not start, then she could not take all of the items on the bus. After she could not ride her bike and hold all of the items, then, she could not ride a hot air balloon because her baby was scared. In the end, a farmer on a horse an carriage gave them a ride to the beach.
This book is for the entertainment of young kids. There is no moral or message. However, it helps with counting and memorization. As the dilemma in the store develops, the illustrations and written story take a series of changes to either add or take away items that the mom had to leave out. The illustrations are fun and unpredictable; therefore, young readers are more likely to be triggered and engaged with what will happen next in the story.
33 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2018
Themes: Beach, baby, Problem solving

This book would be a great story time read because it involves the reader to guess which item is missing. Its short and sweet and could be very visual for all ages. I love that this asks the reader/listener to solve the problem. I have been finding more and more like this which I am very excited about.

Other books asking you to solve a problem or spot the difference: Who's Driving & Gus's Garage by Leo Timmers, Who done it? by Olivier Tallec, and Undercover by Bastien Contraire
January 27, 2022
Tips and Activities
Talk about things you need to take to beach
Play a game after reading the book where you figure out which items are missing. Don’t use more than 4 or 5 items
Talk about the different modes of transportation

Questions to Ask
There are questions build into the book
What do you think she will forget next?
Why can’t she bring … on the ….?
What do you think would be the best way to get to the beach?
Profile Image for Trisha Parsons.
556 reviews26 followers
June 27, 2019
This book is perfect for storytime as the dialogic reading is built right in. The book is a guessing game, as the kids make guesses about what one of the five belongs will get left behind on various modes of transport to the beach.
39 reviews2 followers
January 30, 2012
This is a great book to read to children to teach them about different methods of transportation. The pictures in the book were colorful and they told the story, even if a child looks at it and does not know how to read. This book is not too wordy, so it will be perfect for a preschool class!

Learning activity:
In a small group, I will give each child two pieces of paper. One piece will have a drawing of a sky, grass, a street, and water on it. The other piece of paper will consist of different small real-life copies of different types of transportation. I will have the children cut out the different transportation pictures and glue them where they think we use that particular vehicle, on the piece of paper with the drawing. Ex)the children will cut out a picture of a hot air balloon and glue it in the sky and they will glue the car on the street.
Profile Image for Karen.
Author 9 books30 followers
July 11, 2013
I just love Roxanne in this book. She is so scattered, a bit disheveled and, yet, so chic and quintessentially French. Alas, despite my French middle name, I am only scattered and disheveled. When I go to the beach, I, like Roxanne, take along five items. We have one item in common -- the little boy -- but then my list becomes quite prosaic, with items like suntan lotion, snacks, towels and a pail. Her list is much more interestingly and logistically challenging.

It's great fun to see her different modes of transportation and to see which item cannot go to the beach with her for each mode. The illustrations only add to the fun. Happily, she does make it to the beach with all five items and has a wonderful time.
Profile Image for Melissa.
776 reviews73 followers
June 15, 2010
This book is ten years old, but I only just read it this month while looking for a new "beach" book for storytime. This is a happy discovery! A great choice for toddler or preschool storytime. The kids will have fun guessing what object can't be taken along with each different method of transportation. The pictures are clear and bright and not too detailed for a group, the transportation choices (balloon, kayak) are unusual, and the ending is a pleasant and satisfactory surprise. AND one of the things they MUST take to the beach is a "thick blue book of stories"! Might have to hunt up my own copy of this one!
Profile Image for Lindsay.
501 reviews12 followers
January 11, 2013
I read this when I was first doing Spanish and bilingual story time in summer 2011. In this story, a mom and her baby are trying to get to the beach, but, for one reason or another, their choice of transportation isn't adequate. It's a pretty cute book...and I never really thought of it as a transportation story until now (hmm, go figure, I will add this to the list of transportation stories).

Profile Image for Josie B..
200 reviews
October 3, 2015
This is great interactive story which encourages critical thinking. Each mode of transportation proposed means leaving one of the five beach necessities behind. Pause to talk with the children about which one can't go and why? You can also go back and hunt for the ladybug on each page. Pair with All You Need For a Beach by Alice Schertle or Bear in the Air by Susan Meyers.
27 reviews
Read
November 14, 2016
Finding a book that engaged kids in guessing what will happen next on each page was a special find. This is a good book for older children to read to younger children. It guides the questions that adults might naturally do. The illustrations sometimes lead the children to guess the wrong thing. It forces them to think about the words and not just look at the pictures.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
1,033 reviews
May 10, 2008
Every other page allows the children to guess what can't go with them to the beach. The car won't start and either they can't hold the umbrella on a skateboard or they can't take their book of stories on a kayak. How will they get to the beach and still take the items they want?
11 reviews
October 13, 2008
My children and I love this book. It is a guessing-game story, very fun! It has beautiful illustrations! And the book doesn't talk about this, but on every page there is a lady bug that we the kids have fun finding!

Love it!!! must read!
Profile Image for Linda.
69 reviews5 followers
September 3, 2012
Characters are trying to go to the beach, but each method to get them there forces them to leave something behind. Fun getting the kids to guess what's missing. There's also a hidden ladybug (I think? it's been a while) on every page which is fun to find. Good storytime book.
Profile Image for Dena.
144 reviews
June 10, 2013
Actually, this is Anna's favorite, but I'm not changing my shelves around. The logic is great, the pictures are colorful, and she memorized it in about three seconds. We keep this one in the car. Our copy is English-only.
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book659 followers
August 27, 2013
This is an entertaining story that tests the reader's observation skills. I would recommend this book for preschoolers, but our girls thought the story was humorous, too. The narrative is short and the illustrations are colorful and humorous. We enjoyed reading it together.
112 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2008
All Roxanne wanted to do is go to the beach on this beautiful day but she encountered so many problems.
Profile Image for Gail.
930 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2009
My friend loves this boom and I finally checked it out. I love it. Of COURSE you have to bring the turtle, the huge story book, the ball, the baby, and the umbrella to the beach.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews

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