All I Want to Do Is Swim

A novice swimmer who achieves enjoyment by emulating creaturely techniques narrates Singer and Uribe’s enthusiastic picture book. Though the protagonist has taken swim lessons at an indoor pool, it’s only in nature that they begin to embrace the activity, as noted in fluid, chipper rhymes: “So I jump into the water/ and imagine I can be...// an animal that feels at home,/ swimming naturally.” A duck becomes a model for floating, a dolphin inspires a “jump and flip,” and animals likewise anchor specific strokes, with the child learning to “poodle-paddle” from a pup. Confidence established, the youth concludes with ode-like lines that announce their newly found desire: across seasons and water bodies, “all I want to do/ is swim!” Turquoise and teal fill the pages’ smudgy, color-layered digital paintings, which feature an authentically watery glistening effect. The result evokes the cool, sensory pleasures of swimming. Ages 2–5. (Apr.)