Big Family Beach Day

Crews (Extraordinary Magic) pays homage to fond families and beatific beach days in this busy slice-of-life picture book. Young narrator Maya, portrayed with brown skin, takes readers along on an extended family’s annual outing, tracing each step for “me and Mom, my grandma, my aunts, my uncles, and my cousins.” Second-person phrases set the scene, tracing both how “you will be expected to carry buckets, bags, towels, and beach umbrellas across the hot sand” and how the group finds an ideal spot where the morning water is calm—“just right for swimming.” Finally, after sunscreen and a safety lecture, “you will be free. Free to choose between sand and surf. Pails and snorkels.” Feelings of autonomy, belonging, and camaraderie pervade the pages as the family plays in the water, digs in the sand, navigates splashing, and eats individualized sandwiches with their names on them (“It will be the best sandwich, ever”). Vividly peopled beach landscapes packed with lively details capture the warm, inviting atmosphere of the day, and the way it is held as both memory and promise: “We do this every summer. We love it.” Characters are portrayed with various body types and skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (May)