Maisy Goes on Holiday by Lucy Cousins

Walker, 2010. ISBN: 9781406323702.
Maisy and Cyril are going on holiday to the beach and the reader follows them through their packing, travel and to their hotel then joins them in their experiences at the beach. As part of the Maisy First Experience series, this book is perfect to share with the very young child. Each part of the preparation and the journey is included and the ideas are easily accessible.
Lucy Cousins uses predominantly strong, vibrant primary colours in her illustrations and they hold a great deal of appeal. With a maximum of three short sentences to a page, concentration is held to the end of the story. There is plenty happening in the pictures and one can search for different animals and perhaps count the number of clouds and so on. Children may even find a book about Maisy being read by another character. They could discuss the safety precautions which should be taken at the beach, with some characters being portrayed as having hats and flotation devices. Likewise, one could talk about confidence in the water as both Cyril and Maisy react differently when it comes to swimming in the sea. This is another delightful title to share with very young children.
Jo Schenkel