St. Louis, MO
After your British Swim School lesson when you get home (and out of the cold weather), why not snuggle up, get cozy and read a book about swimming?
Here are some ideas.
There are a number of books for toddlers and preschoolers about learning to swim.
Several books are about well-known characters learning to swim: Froggy (Froggy Learns to Swim), Maisy (Maisy Learns to Swim), Peppa the Pig (Peppa Goes Swimming), and Curious George (Curious George Goes Swimming). There is a Llama Llama book that focuses on fear of swimming. It lacks the rhyming of the other Llama Llama books and gets mixed reviews But it might be worth it if you have a Llama Llama fan. The Maisy book, about sweet little mouse Maisy shows kids that swimming isn’t something they’ll learn in just one lesson and that it’s totally normal to be a little nervous about the whole process. The bright childlike drawings and simple language take readers from the locker room through the lesson—in which the kids practice floating and blowing bubbles. Sergio in Sergio Makes a Splash is a little penguin who loves water, drinking it, bathing in it, splashing in it – but he can’t swim.
British Swim School founder, Rita Goldberg, has written a book for children, I Love to Swim. In addition, several parents who are part of Families United to Prevent Drowning have written good books for children about learning to swim and water safety such as Josh the Otter, Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim and The Polar Bear Who Couldn’t Wouldn’t Swim.
Babies love board books and there is a Spot board book about swimming (Spot Goes to the Swimming Pool). Who Can Swim? has flaps that lift to show different swimming animals. Eric Carle famous for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, wrote and illustrated Mr. Seahorse now available as a board book with clear peak-a-boo pages. When Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs, she does it on Mr. Seahorse’s belly! She knows he will take good care of them. While he swims waiting for the eggs to hatch, he meets other underwater fathers caring for their babies
Eve Bunting has written a number of wonderful books for children including a picture book, I’m a Duck, with engaging rhymes and a story about conquering fear. One of our favorite children’s authors has written a book about fish. Leo Lionni’s Swimmy was a Caldecott Honor book; it is about a fish who looks different but is very daring and ventures out to discover the wonders of the underwater world. He also teaches the other fish not to be controlled by fear and how they can band together against bigger fish.
For some humor, The Whale in My Swimming Pool is about a boy who finds an enormous and recalcitrant blue whale in his tiny backyard kiddie pool; he is determined to get it to leave but it takes some doing. For a heartwarming story, there is How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again (Winter’s Tail) about a dolphin who, as a baby, injured her tail which eventually fell off. She was fitted with a prosthetic tail and, despite the challenges, learned to swim again. Her story is being made into a major motion picture starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Harry Connick, Jr.
For an inspirational swimming biography, there is America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle about the woman who, in the 1920’s, won 3 gold medals and then was the first woman to swim the English Channel, a feat she accomplished in record time.
William Steig is an incomparable children’s book writer and illustrator. Amos and Boris is not about swimming but it is a charming book about sailing, a whale and the sea. It is the story of a mouse who, having set sail, is then in need of rescue which is accomplished by Boris, the whale. A long time after, it is Amos’s turn to rescue Boris. A lovely tale of friendship and helping one another.
Last, but certainly not least, one of our favorites (for slightly older children) – The Beginning of the Armadillo. Stickly Prickly Hedgehog is taught to swim by his friend Slow and Solid Tortoise so he can escape from Painted Jaguar. The language is enchanting.
We would love to hear any of your suggestions.
British Swim School St. Louis offers premium water survival and swimming lessons for infants, toddlers, children and adults, starting at just 3 months old. We proudly serve the St. Louis communities of Afton, Ballwin, Brentwood, Chesterfield, Clayton, Concord, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, Eureka, Fenton, High Ridge, Howell Island, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lake St. Louis, Manchester, Maplewood, Maryland Heights, New Town, Olivette, Overland, Richmond Heights, St. Charles, Orchard Farm, St. Paul, St. Peters, Sunset Hills, Town and Country, Valley Park, Webster Groves, Weldon Springs, and Wildwood. Call 314-312-1878 to enroll or find a class online.
