School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Upon arriving at the seashore, Turtle and Snake notice a sign for a sand-castle contest and decide to enter it. They build one, and then go surfing. When they come back, their construction is gone. They build a second time, and even a third time with the help of assorted friends in order to meet the deadline. Snake and Turtle have personality and their story weaves a simple message of friendship and the value of persistence and teamwork. Brightly colored, simple drawings capture the pleasure of this fun-in-the-sun day at the beach and give visual clues for words like umbrella, pails, shovels, and surfboards. Repetition ("dig, dig, dig" and "pat, pat, pat") provides practice for simple words, and the three o'clock deadline and clock illustrations allow youngsters to hone their time-telling skills. This sixth story about Turtle and Snake will be a hit with those who already know and love these friends, and is sure to make them some new fans. It's difficult to find easy-to-read books that have charm and a real story, and this one does.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Turtle and Snake ride the waves. / Oh no, Snake. Watch out! / Wipeout! This is another episode in the lives of Turtle and Snake with very simple text for beginning readers and bright images of a trip to the local beach. While the language is a bit flat, the paintings will inspire discussion of the readers' own excursions. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 1. This fifth entry in the Turtle and Snake saga from the Viking Easy-to-Read series is set at the beach. In anticipation of a sand castle contest, the friends try their hands (in Snake's case, his tail) at building, but waves wipe their creations away. As the contest draws nigh, it's up to friends to help the reptiles build something that will last. The wordplay is simple and repetitive (dig, dig, dig; pat, pat, pat), but there's enough going on--surfing, sand building--to make the elementary art viable and to hold kids' attention. The ending, in which everyone gets a prize, seems just right. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2003 Booklist
