In this absolutely delightful series of children’s books, written by Marci Fair and her twelve year old daughter Elle, Plushy Buddies Elli the Elephant and her best friend Pudgy the Penguin do fun things like go to school and go on an airplane trip. In the latest adventure, “Ellie’s Best Beach Vacation Ever,” they go to the beach and do all kinds of fun stuff like swimming, a visit to a playground, sightseeing while riding bikes and building a sand fortress.

This sweet book is full of enchanting live action photos of Ellie and Pudgy in real places. The text is simple and perfect for bedtime stories or for beginner sight word readers. The story line is easy to follow and full of terrific ideas for beach fun. I love that a trip to the beach includes a visit to the bookstore. The joy of shopping for actual books in a local bookstore is an adventure all kids should be exposed to.

In the back of each book is a tutorial for uploading pictures of your favorite stuffed friends, having fun adventures of their own, to Ellie and Pudgy’s Facebook page. I couldn’t suggest this book to parents for their younger children any more. ( )

Ellie is a much-loved stuffed elephant and her new friend Pudgy, the penguin joins her on all sorts of new adventures. This time, they are going to the beach for the first time. When Ellie and Pudgy walk down the boardwalk and see the white sand and blue-green water, it reminded me of my first time seeing a similar view. Ellie and Pudgy have a great time on their beach vacation riding bikes. building sandcastles, visiting bookstores, and even taking naps. They made the most of their vacation, enjoying everything the town had to offer and spending time together. That's the best part of any vacation...all that uninterrupted time with each other!

Throughout the story, there are real photographs of Ellie and Pudgy experiencing every part of their adventure. The photos are adorable and make you feel like you are right there with them!

I really love this adorable series and will be adding this to my "bag of tricks" for when I sub at the elementary. I know kids will love this story too. A portion of the sale of every book goes toward helping children in need. ( )