“Scruffy shoes, socks, sweater … scratchy, silly scarf / Step, step, sidestep, … snow. Slow steps—shuffle, straddle, saunter … sand.” A white girl and her mom explore a snowy beach on a winter evening as the sun sets. They spot animals, shells, and plants. While stepping carefully around a tide pool, a sudden wave causes the girl to drop her doll into the water (“Slip … splash … sink … soaked!”), but she rescues it. Now sopping wet, they head home, where the mom gives her daughter a warm bath, reads her a story on the couch, and then tucks her into bed. This entire story is told in words that begin with the letter S, many of them sensory words. The evocative illustrations depict the beach, plants, animals, and sky, giving a strong sense of being outside on a warmish winter day, and the illustrations of the child and mother back at home after their walk have a cozy feeling. “Sweatshirt, slippers, supper … story. / Silence. / Safe. Snug. Sleep. Shh!” What could be better? (Ages 3-7)