Heading for the beach, hopping a plane to France or hitting the American road with your kids this summer? Some books to prep or pack:

¢ “Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach” (Kids Can Press, $15.95, ages 4-8) written and illustrated by Melanie Watt.

The germophobic and jittery squirrel is back and stressing out over a trip to the beach to hunt down the perfect shell. What about the hazards? Tribes of jellyfish, mobs of lobsters, packs of pirates. And the crowds. Oh the crowds. After careful planning, he makes his peace.

¢ “Where’s Waldo? The Ultimate Travel Collection” (Candlewick Press, ages 6-up) by Martin Handford.

Waldo, the knit-capped, stripe-sweatered pop icon, has come of age. Twenty-one years after he first tried to get lost in a crowd, he’s squeezed into a tricky travel collection as he traverses the globe.

¢ “Everybody Bonjours” (Alfred A. Knopf, $16.99, ages 5-8) by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by Sarah McMenemy.

A little girl in a smart red dress bonjours high at the Eiffel Tower and bonjours low in the Metropolitan, the Paris subway system, as her family demonstrates in this rhyming picture book that Paris isn’t just for lovers. They stop at the magnificent Sacre Coeur on the city’s highest hill, take in the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and sail toy boats at the Tuileries Gardens. Tips on sights to see included.