A girl and her family vacation at the same beach each summer for a week, returning to a place that feels like home each year. From the winding roads on the way to the motel to the Monday night at the bandstand in town, everything is the same each year. The daily routine of toting towels, coolers, and umbrellas to the beach and back and playing in the waves and sand is a welcome treat, as is a new friend this year. In simple, straightforward text, Larsen captures the wonder of summer vacation, the comfort in the familiar, and the delight in finding a new friend. Stewart’s muted palate and retro-style illustrations evoke the comforting feel and wistfulness of warm summer days. (Ages 2–5)

Every summer, a girl's family drives down the same roads, passes through the same towns, and spends a week at the same beachside motel. Year after year, everything is comfortingly predictable: the families they see, the rhythm of the days, the stars, the bonfires, and even the pattern the tractor makes as it rakes the sand on their beach. But this year, something is different: the girl, our narrator, meets a new friend who shows her how to dive under the waves and spot satellites in the night sky. When it's time to go, she's sad to part ways. But she knows she can look forward to seeing him next year. Illustrated in a restrained, retro palette, this story perfectly captures the timelessness of a summer holiday. The effect is nostalgic and almost hazy, as if seen in a dream, a memory, or through the shimmering air of a hot summer day.