School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-This is the quintessential book about going to the beach complete with overflowing picnic baskets, kite flying, singing around the campfire, and scratchy sand in places "where no sand should be." Kids will certainly identify with the exuberant and familiar fun, but what will get them howling is the fact that the characters are bats that are visiting the beach in the moonlight. The rhyming text is grounded in reality with many inventive twists to keep the imagination rolling. There is moon-tan lotion, salted 'skeeters, and bat kites. Where the book truly soars is in the dark yet luminescent art where bat wings glow in the light of the full moon and the sky is a steely blue. The faces on the bats are furry and friendly. These creatures use cocktail umbrellas for beach umbrellas; they hold wing-boat races in red-and-white checked food containers; and when it's time for a late-night snack, they enter the ice-cream shack where a lit light bulb attracts a multitude of succulent bugs. Readers may not be tempted to try marshmallows with bug legs and gossamer wings but that won't keep them from reveling in this grand adventure.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Gathering up "our buckets, trowels, / banjoes, blankets, books, and towels," a family of bats flits out to the beach for a moonlit picnic of "yummy treats"-"Beetles, ants, and milkweed bugs, / crickets, moths, and pickled slugs. / Damselflies, or salted 'skeeters- / no room here for picky eaters!" Aside from the deliciously macabre menu, it's not too different from a human outing; in Lies's lambent, exactly detailed paintings, bats with an appealingly mouse-like look cavort happily through the waves, play volleyball and other games or snuggle into comfy laps around a glowing campfire as the grownups chat amiably. As a purpling sky to the east signals that it's time to clean up, they "flutter homeward, drained and weary," as "small bats doze off, tired and teary." Perfect for sharing with younglings of the wingless sort, when it's time for them to do the same. (Picture book. 5-7)
From the Publisher
"Where the book truly soars is in the dark yet luminescent art where bat wings glow in the light of the full moon and the sky is a steely blue. The faces on the bats are furry and friendly." — School Library Journal
JUNE 2009 - AudioFile
What do bats do at the beach? The same thing you and I do! Join the bats for a wonderful beach day—well, actually, night. Chris Sorensen's reading captures the joy of the beach, where bat friends and family gather in the moonlight for swimming, surfing, sandcastle building, games, and a picnic. Sorensen's clear voice has a resonance that helps to depict these magical scenes. His cadence and pacing allow the listener to enjoy the story's rhyme scheme. As the bats move from one activity to another, he pauses slightly to let the listener follow. Excellent narration enhances this wonderful story, making it an easy choice for a listening library. J.K.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
