(1) 4-6 In the final installment of the trilogy (Finding Langston, rev. 9/18; Leaving Lymon, rev. 3/20), we are (re)introduced to Chicago-born Clemson Thurber Junior. Too young to remember his father, Clem has heard all the stories about him, the brave Navy man and amazing swimmer who, as the book opens, becomes a tragic casualty of the 1944 Port Chicago Disaster. As one of the smallest kids in his fourth-grade class and deathly afraid of water, Clem knows he's not a worthy namesake. Not that there's much opportunity to prove his courage and independence--problems with a bully are solved when Clem finds himself on the good side of Lymon, the toughest kid in school. But when, in seventh grade, new student Langston arrives and is bullied by Lymon for his "country" ways, Clem finally asserts himself, with welcome results. His friendship with Langston leads him to attend a high-school swim meet, providing the opportunity to decide if he can overcome his fears--and just what kind of brave he can be. Cline-Ransome's mastery of first-person narration and her gift for dialogue present a close-up look at Chicago's African ­American community in the 1940s. An author's note provides additional information about the Port Chicago Disaster, the Chicago Defender newspaper, the Bud Billiken Parade, and the winning DuSable High School swim team. While readers will miss this group of Cline-Ransome's memorable characters, Clem's story is a satisfying end to the series.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) PS "Three eggs hatch. Crack! Crack! Crack! / Three tiny ducks. Quack! Quack! Quack!" Following their mother to water, the "three tiny ducks jump right in. Splish! Splish! Splash! / Swim. Swim... // Sink." "Wait. What?" says the offstage narrator, breaking the fourth wall. "Let's try that again." But the third small duckling again becomes submerged (and ruins the rhyme). The narrator makes several--increasingly ridiculous--suggestions, including a running start, a "push from below" (a.k.a. an assist from a turtle), gigantic water wings, and a jet ski. Just as all hope seems lost, a float-ing leaf gives the swim-challenged bird the clever idea to build a boat, which gets the rhyme back on track. That the little duck has constructed a pirate ship out of its eggshell is a twist sure to please young viewers. The primarily greenish-blue and yellow digital illustrations are full of expressive critters (including a friendly worm who appears on most spreads), with minimal backgrounds keeping the focus on the main action. The square trim size and thick glossy pages were clearly designed for little hands. And Harney's read-aloud-ready text is full of pleasing sound effects, simple words and rhymes, and plenty of meta silliness that will have its preschool audience repeating: "Quack. Quack. ARRRRRRRR!"

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Matt Tavares. Before the bifocals, the lighting rod, the ambassadorship, and all the rest of his many accomplishments, Ben Franklin knew precisely what he wanted to be when he grew up: a sailor. As a child, he spends his time reading and improving his swimming skills in the nearby Mill Pond and Charles River; Tavares's expansive illustrations show him testing his handmade paddles and even being pulled through the water by a wind-filled kite, like a human sailboat. Having lost one son to the sea, Ben's father emphatically refuses to entertain such a course for him and introduces him to a number of different trades. But each is too repetitive, and none appeals to Ben. Ben's face shines with joy when he is in the water but turns solemn while he's at work he considers boring. Finally having run out of his father's options, Ben signs on as a journeyman in his brother's print shop, where the work suits him because of its variety and allows him to blossom into his later roles. "Not one job was exactly like the one before, but he excelled at each career by applying the diverse knowledge he'd gained and the insightful curiosity that seemed insatiable." This historical-fiction picture book (Rosen was "inspired by Franklin's Memoirs" and "worked to open out Franklin's brief recollections in order to compose a realistic story you would enjoy") is appended with a historical note, author's and illustrator's notes concerning their processes, and a brief bibliography.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(4) PS Illustrated by Delphine Renon. Crocodile Fossil loves everything about the beach...except the part about swimming. Following some coaxing from his animal friends, the quiet croc faces his fear, creating a not-so-quiet "SPLASSSHHH." As in The Quiet Crocodile, there's not much story here; the book's calling card is the meticulous art in which critters use the croc's back as a climbing structure.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings series. Illustrated by Hilli Kushnir. In Jealous, the narrator envies the attention-getting new girl. Scared finds a (different) narrator worried about swim lessons. Both books feature adults who help the children recognize emotions ("What am I feeling? I am feeling scared") and react appropriately ("We practice breathing deeply"). The easy-reader stories, with their "Dealing with Feelings" message and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, are reassuring if a little bland. Review covers these Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings titles: This Makes Me Jealous and This Makes Me Scared.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Annabelle is relieved to be finished with seventh grade. An academically struggling scholarship day student, she doesn't fit in at her fancy island boarding school. Swimming, on the other hand, comes easily to Annabelle--but even that becomes complicated when she is recruited for the high-school swim team. In this fast-moving, believable story, likable Annabelle must navigate shifting friendships, the attention of an older boy, and her long-absent father's reentry in her life.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Spot Sports series. Each slim easy reader opens with a photo glossary highlighting four sport-specific vocabulary words, accompanied by instructions: "Look for these words and pictures as you read." The following spreads are organized around these keywords, with bright stock photos and a smattering of facts. The volumes are light on substance but effectively reinforce the meaning of a small number of relevant terms.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 A girl is fishing in the ocean with her frog buddy when they spot their reflections in the water. They make faces at their reflections, which mimic their every move--until their likenesses transform into a mermaid and her own frog. Soon all four are enjoying an underwater splash together. Although that's all there is story-wise to this wordless book, the summery, swirling art is divine.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Duncan. Nate loves to pretend that he's a shark, although his older brother points out that real sharks can swim. So Nate takes lessons, conquering his fear of the water and ultimately beating his brother in a competition. The humorous stylized cartoons make the most of Shark Nate-O's triumph in this appealing fantasy for both shark lovers and the water avoidant.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 With her parents newly separated and her mother emotionally unstable, twelve-year-old Alice decides to live in a tent in the backyard. She makes a new friend (who is socially awkward and also a swimmer like Alice) and gains a babysitting charge--next-door neighbor Piper, who doesn't speak. Diehl's thought-provoking story about complex family and friendship dynamics features a unique and memorable cast of characters.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) PS Piglet Nelly is thrilled with her new polka-dotted swimsuit, but when she and her mother head to the beach, Nelly refuses to go into the water. Gorbachev's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations show Nelly delightedly continuing to wear her suit, even when they visit Grandma, a champion swimmer. Appealingly, no one ever scolds Nelly for her fear, and she gains confidence by watching her grandmother swim.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(2) 4-6 Translated by Edward Gauvin. Jun's graphic novel for young readers begins with Yu'er, a Chinese girl who dreams of swimming in the Special Olympics. When her swim-class application is rejected because of her disability, Grampa has an ingenious solution. Heartwarming relationships, moments of levity, and magical elements also mark the remaining three vignettes. The earth-toned watercolor illustrations seem quiet at first glance, but dynamic perspectives and compositions provide lively energy.

Reviewer: Roxanne Hsu Feldman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) 4-6 In this well-paced story, sixth grader Cassie feels "invisible" after her family's attention turns to her teenage sister, Julia, and her baby. No one cares about Cassie's grades or that her friendships are changing; no one comes to her swim meets. Frustrated, she heads off on a road trip with Julia and baby Addie, which gives sympathetic protagonist Cassie the courage to assert herself.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 With Hannah Long. A Russian orphan and double amputee adopted by an American family, Jessica Long became the youngest member of the U.S. Paralympics swim team. Jessica's first-person narrative recounts her incredible ascent to competitive-swimming success via chapters (each titled "The Moment I...") highlighting important anecdotes of both failure and triumph. An inspiring and intimate memoir filled with photographs of the athlete's early and present life.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jean Claverie. "Here I am, facing the rock." Every summer, the African American narrator's older brother jumps off a tall rock into the lake; this year, big brother says it's the narrator's turn. Nadon nails an older sibling's aura: intimidating ("He always made everything look so easy") and inspiring (the boy follows his brother's example). The art's sketch-like quality suits the narrator's shaky-giddy mood.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Exploring Our Community series. The five friends from Ritchie's informational series prepare for an upcoming swim meet. Coach Penny makes sure they stretch, get good sleep, support one another, eat nutritiously, and have fun. The informal narrative is accompanied by bold-faced health-science facts or suggestions on every spread. Sunny digital illustrations include bird's-eye, close-up, and panoramic views of the diverse group of healthy kids. Includes ideas for active play. Glos.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA Quinn is a counselor at her family's seaside summer camp known for its legendary sea creature. She doesn't believe in Wessie but sees the creature while involved in a boating accident that kills her friend. Quinn battles grief and guilt on her journey toward self-forgiveness; her story is supported by a strong sense of place and a cast of distinct, well-drawn characters.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) PS Illustrated by Christina Leist. A sweet family beach-day story uses repeating onomatopoeic phrasing to add rhythm to the spare rhyming text. "I hear the breeze, / whishery-whish, whishery-whish, / and see a bird, / fishery-fish, fishery-fish." The sandy-soft illustrations carry much of the plot line and match the simplicity of the preschool-pitched text.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) K-3 At the young Asian girl narrator's first swim lesson, she shrinks from getting into the water, and the teacher doesn't insist. By the third Saturday, she's ready to fully participate. Yum conveys the little girl's reluctance through body language. Watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations show people with a variety of skin tones. There's no preaching or reproach, just adults giving an anxious child time and space to try something new.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. A bouncy rhyme introduces little penguin Pip-Pip, who's afraid of the water. His understanding mother urges him to think positive thoughts about the sea (e.g., there could be "friends for you to meet"), instead of fearing monsters and other disasters. Large, expressive blue- and purple-tinged illustrations show nervous Pip-Pip finally taking the plunge, as well as his delight when he realizes he can swim.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert