"All I Want to Do Is Swim | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider

Youngsters are sure to dive right into “All I Want to Do Is Swim,” by Marilyn Singer.

The inviting cover features a sparkly dolphin and other water-loving creatures, setting the stage for a rhyming story about a little girl who squelches her fear of getting her feet wet. Cute, colorful illustrations by Luisa Uribe, track her progress.

Lakeside, the girl sits on the dock, sweet face locked in anxiety. “I’m staring at the water, unsure if I’ll go in. I dip one foot, then the other—it feels chilly on my skin.”

The child says that she’s had lessons, and a spread shows her in a pool with a kick board. But the girl’s far from impressed, is “…always glad when we are done.”

Back on the dock in present time, a turtle swims by, and seems to be enjoying itself, so the girl slips into the water too, paddling about. When a duck appears, the child flips over and floats along, her face to the sun. Next the girl imagines a hippo going underwater and heads for the deep, without even a pair of goggles. What a feat!

Dolphins, a dog and frogs all demonstrate other ways to maneuver watery moves, and the child tries them all, her confidence growing with each new stroke until she’s cannon-balling off the dock with friends, her fear a distant memory.

  “All I Want to Do is Swim” is a perfect book to share with a reluctant swimmer, one learning strokes or a child trying to get brave enough to put their head underwater. Whatever their level of swimming expertise, this newbie proves it’s fun to get all wet!

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