Brother and Sister can't wait to go swimming. But first, there are many jobs to do in the Bear Family's summer house. There are rooms to clean, groceries to put away, closets to air out, suitcases to unpack, and on and on. Will the cubs ever get to dip their tootsies in the sea?

I’ve always loved The Berenstain Bears series and their book By the Sea was no exception. The Berenstain Bears go to the beach and when they get there, the kids are ready to go to the beach and get in the water, but their mother makes them clean and eat before they do. I’ve always loved how these books rhyme throughout and on every page and the illustrations never fail to connect the story. The expressions on the children’s faces go from excited when they get there, sad when they can’t go to the water right away, and annoyed/frustrated when they have to wait so long. The entire family is happy at the end when they finally get to enjoy the water together. I think this book teaches children the importance of patience and that not everything we want can or will happen as soon as we want it to. I would love to read this book to my students or to my kids in the future along with any other Berenstain Bears books. ( )