Brownie & Pearl Take a Dip
Cynthia Rylant
Illustrated by Brian Biggs

Beach Street
April 2011 / ISBN 9781416986386
Children fiction (Ages 3-5)
Amazon

Reviewed by Bob Walch

Young readers are invited to join Brownie and her cat Pearl as they have a little backyard fun. It is a warm day so Brownie suggests a dip in the kiddy pool her parents have filled with water.

After she gets her bathing suit on and a pair of sunglasses, Brownie and her pet cat head outside. While Brownie steps into the pool, Pearl is more cautious and only dips her paw in. But then, she slips and falls in. Totally covered with water, the wet kitty is not delighted with the situation.

Once the soaked kitten gets out of the pool she heads for a nearby towel and stretches out to dry off in the sun. Soon Brownie joins her pet and they enjoy a little nap in the warm sun.

A simple story with colorful illustrations by Brian Biggs, this is a good “starter” book to get a child use to helping with the narration. The vocabulary is easy enough that even preschoolers will be able to identify key words and phrases.