Picture Book Review – From Park to Playa

 

 

FROM PARK TO PLAYA:
The Trails That Connect Us

Written by Nell Cross Beckerman

Illustrated by Sophie Diao

(Cameron Kids; $18.99, Ages 5-7)

 

 

 

 

I feel lucky to live in Los Angeles. I’m close to the mountains (I live in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains), and I’m not too far from the beaches that dot our coastline. It’s easy to partake in all the great outdoors has to offer.

That’s why I got excited when I saw Nell Cross Beckerman’s latest picture book, From Park to Playa, with art by New York Times bestselling illustrator Sophie Diao. From the very first spread, readers are invited to come along and observe what animals might be getting up to on the trail that leads from “city park to playa—the beach and all the people who live here.”

 

 

The path is full of activity conveyed in lyrical prose in a story that spans from morning to evening. There’s an 8th birthday party underway. It’s just one of the activities taking place out in nature’s welcoming habitat from park to playa. At a scenic overlook “downtown’s towers” can be spotted as well as birds, airplanes, trains, and colorful neighborhoods below. I love the pastel palette and the mottled textures that Diao has created using Adobe Photoshop and Procreate. People of all ages visit and admire the vast view.

 

 

As the day becomes twilight, different flora and fauna are visible on a bike path. “Why are the geese honking and squawking?” The poetic language transports from the page to the path, and the illustrations help me smell the air and feel a gentle breeze coming from the ocean. The beach scenes beckon.

 

 

 

Now that we’re halfway through summer, From Park to Playa motivates me to get out and explore. Even if you’re not near a beach, a hike along a lake, river, or stream where the surroundings change at different elevations can be inspiring and oh, so satisfying! The spreads that feature a child roasting marshmallows, and a family on a grunion run are two of my favorites. Can you hear the crackling of the fire? Or the waves gently lapping along the shore? These evocative moments in the picture book reach every sense, allowing readers to be transported to the great outdoors even on a rainy day.

 

 

 

Beckerman’s Author’s Note shares her inspiration for From Park to Playa. It details her discovery that the path she hiked for a decade was actually a thirteen-mile-long trail created to connect neighborhoods, parks, and people. I now have a new hiking destination and am eager to experience it in different seasons. What a wonderful way to open children’s eyes to nature’s remarkable and free discoveries that await them. Happy Trails!