Besting Beach-a-Phobia: Ladybug Girl At The Beach by David Soman

"I LOVE THE BEACH!" SAYS LADYBUG GIRL AS SHE SPREAD HER WINGS.

"YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THE BEACH!" SAID HER BIG BROTHER.

"BUT I KNOW THAT I LOVE IT," SHE SAYS.

But sometimes big brothers are more than a source of put downs for little sisters, and the enthusiastic Ladybug Girl has her wings clipped a bit when she first confronts the awe and power of the ocean up close and personal. The waves are, well, overwhelming, and she finds herself retreating up the sand to Mom's beach towel while big brother hits the surf.

LADYBUG GIRL RUNS TO THE EDGE OF THE WATER.

THE OCEAN GOES ON AND ON AND MAKES A HUGE ROARING SOUND.

SHE HAD NO IDEA. SHE TAKES A FEW STEPS BACKWARD. BINGO BARKS AT THE WAVES.

Lulu hates to admit to Mom and her brother that she's afraid, so she feigns an overwhelming desire to fly her kite, walk on the beach, go for ice cream, and build a sand castle, taking her buddy, Basset hound Bingo, and hauling her beloved pail and shovel to what looks like a super spot.

IT IS VERY HOT.

LULU LOOKS AT THE OCEAN. OTHER KIDS ARE SPLASHING AND JUMPING IN THE WAVES.

"SHOULD WE GET OUR FEET WET, BINGO?" SHE THINKS IT WOULD BE OKAY TO GO INTO THE OCEAN JUST A LITTLE BIT.

SUDDENLY A WAVE CRASHES INTO HER LEGS AND REALLY KNOCKS HER OVER.

It's a surprising setback, and Ladybug Girl scurries back to the safety of the sand. No one seems to notice her scary experience, so she decides to collect buried treasure, and she and Bingo soon start to fill her pail with flotsam and jetsam. Then as she wades in the ripples along the edge, she sees something alarming.

THE TIDE IS COMING IN! IT'S TAKING AWAY HER PAIL! SHE HAS TO RESCUE IT!

Without considering her fears, Ladybug Girl wades into the surf bravely and saves her pail. Suddenly she realizes she's in over her knees and that the water is fine. Ladybug Girl is not afraid!

David Soman's and Jacky Davis' newest Ladybug Girl at the Beach (Dial, 2010) features his plucky polka-dotted heroine in a gentle introduction to overcoming the common fear of the surf; Lulu unknowingly puts herself through a course of gradual desensitization therapy on the way to discovering that she is able to deal with the waves with confidence. "I told you Ladybug Girl loves the beach!" she reports to her family proudly.

Fans of Ladybug Girl will find this latest sequel to this popular series an evocative and welcome day at the beach. Other titles in this popular series include Ladybug Girl, Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, and Ladybug Girl Dresses Up!