Sabrina Sue Loves the Sea

April 15, 2021
A quiet story about pursuing one's dreams and sharing them with others. Even though chickens aren't waterfowl, the hen protagonist of this early reader is enamored of the sea. Sabrina Sue has never been there, but she's read about it and dreamed about it for her whole life. The other animals on the farm scoff at Sabrina Sue's dream of seeing the sea, with the exception of a sympathetic frog (who's never mentioned in text but who the illustrations demonstrate clearly is Sabrina Sue's boon companion). She doesn't let them stop her, though. Stowing away in the back of Farmer Martha's pickup truck, Sabrina Sue and the frog go to the sea--and it's everything she hoped it would be. Cartoon illustrations are energetic and humorous in tone, with details like Sabrina Sue's diving mask (donned long before she gets to the waterfront) sure to provoke readers' giggles. There are no calamities or disappointments for comic effect, just scenes of the delighted chicken and sidekick amphibian frolicking in the sand and sea. When she becomes lonesome for her friends (despite their earlier scoffing), Sabrina Sue and the frog return to the farm to share stories of their seaside adventure. The easy-reading narrative text is set in a large, clear font; dialogue conveyed in a faux handwriting type is set in speech bubbles. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-12-inch double-page spreads viewed at 21% of actual size.) Young readers will love Sabrina Sue. (Early reader. 4-8)

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