LITTLE KIWI AT THE BEACH May Rousseau Pierrefonds (Que.), Editions Chouette, 1991. 24pp, cloth, $9.95 ISBN 2-921198-29-0. (Concertina Collection). Distrib­uted by Heritage, 300 Arran St., St. Lambert, Que. J4R1K5. CIP Pre-school to Kindergarten/Ages 3 to 5 Reviewed by Marion Scott Volume 20 Number 2 1992 March May Rousseau is both author and illustrator of this picture-book for the very young, and it appears to be her first children's book. The story, told in simple rhyme, tells of a bear family's visit to the beach. Here, Little Kiwi discovers the waves, shells and other sights and sounds of the seashore. This theme is both a popular and useful one with the toddler and pre-school age group. Unfortunately, this treatment is not outstanding. The title was originally published in French, and the English translation is poor. The verse is fre­quently jerky and uninspired. For example: Little Kiwi now knows the noise is the sea that lies before him huge and wavy. The illustrations have greater appeal. They are large and simple: the bears are portrayed in a cuddly, rotund teddy bear style, somewhat reminiscent of Roger Fare's artwork. Libraries with an urgent need for "beach stories" might consider purchas­ing this for their browsing collections. However, I cannot recommend it for a core collection. Marion Scott, Toronto Public Library, Toronto, Ont.