Review: Graduating from the kiddie pool to the deep water, as in life
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 20, 2013
Fortunately for young Annie, her parents weren't advocates of the "sink or swim" method of learning to swim. Knowing how much Annie wanted to be able to swim in the grown-ups' pool with her friends, her mom took her to learn from a swim instructor. After a bad experience with inhaling water, Annie decided she wasn't going to continue with the lessons. Her mom wisely passed on the family "courage bracelet," not to give Annie courage, but to remind her that in order to overcome a fear, she should take small incremental steps until she's doing what she was afraid of.I guess it's appropriate that I'm writing this review in the waning days of summer, with kids about to head back to school, leaving most outdoor swimming pools deserted until next summer comes around. But the "courage bracelet" approach of taking small steps until they're ready to take big leaps is good advice for many other challenges that kids will face while growing up."Cool in the Pool" is enjoyable reading for youngsters, but there's also a nice lesson there about facing their fears and overcoming them.