by Robert Walch

To the Beach (Templar Books/ Candlewick Press, $15.99) by Thomas Docherty begins with a little boy gazing out his bedroom window on a wet afternoon. Although he is wearing his goggles, snorkel, flippers and bathing suit, and is holding a bucket and shovel, you get the feeling this child might be a bit of a distance from the nearest beach.

With his yellow inner tube around his waist, the child says, “All I need now is an airplane, a sailboat, a truck, a camel, some sand, the sea and a friend.”

Of course the illustrations feature each of these modes of transportation. As the boy continues his daydream, he envisions the need for a tanker, helicopter, bicycle and tractor to get back home.

Aimed at an audience of 3- to 6-year-olds, this amusing picture book will fire up your child’s imagination. After you’ve read this book aloud a few times, ask your child how he would get to a special destination. Pick a place close to home and then a faraway spot like the North Pole.

To make it even more fun, tell the youngster he has to use at least five different types of transportation.

In Vacation: We’re Going to the Ocean (Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, $16.95), David Harrison’s wacky short poems describe a family’s summer adventure, starting from the time the family packs up the car.

Over 40 humorous verses capture various aspects of the vacation. Presented from the children’s point of view, the poems include “Are We There Yet?”, “I Gotta Go!”, “The Motel Pool,” “Campground Showers,” “Shark!” and “Our Sand Castle.”

Rob Shepperson’s pen-and-ink sketches capture the essence of each poem, and are sure to elicit a few chuckles.