July is Going To The Beach month – so that’s what I’m doing. All month long I’ll share new books that focus on the ocean. If you don’t have an ocean - or a beach - nearby, fill a bin with sand for your feet, set up a beach chair and umbrella, grab some lemonade, and enjoy the books and activities.
Look What I Found at the Beach
by Moira Butterfield; illus by Jesus Verona
32 pages; ages 2-5
Nosy Crow / Candlewick Press, 2022
theme: summer, ocean, nature
We’re chasing waves and having fun.
Water sparkles in the sun.
Look what I found!
This is the perfect book to read before you head off to the beach. It’s so fun that you’ll be tempted to tuck it in your beach tote. Part field guide and part treasure hunt, we follow three friends as they comb the beach in search of shells, stones, and sea life.
Some spreads invite you to look for specific things: a sea star, tiny fish, some shrimp.
Other spreads explain how to identify things, such as different kinds of crabs you might find, or types of shells.
What I like about this book: I love the scavenger-hunt lists encouraging kids to look more closely at the illustrations. And I love that this book, like the previous one (Look What I Found in the Woods) is all about observations. Look! Notice! Pay attention to the things that are similar and things that make this crab/shell/feather different from that one. And that the final thought is for collectors to be thoughtful, taking only things that have washed up onshore.
If I rated books, I would give this one 5 sea stars.
Beyond the Books:
Indulge in some more beach reading. Check out these STEM books for the Beach, and Melissa Stewart's wonderful book, Seashells: More Than A Home.
Write some Postcards From the Beach ~ short notes about things you see, hear, smell during your beach day. Or write a haiku. Describe a shell or the sound of the waves. Here's one I wrote inspired by the shells in my bowl.
Play a beach game. Here’s one you can play even if you don’t have a beach nearby. You need a large beach towel and an inflated beach ball (the big ones are more fun). Have people hold the ends and sides of the towel and put the ball in the middle. Now work together to bounce the ball. See how high you can get it!
Go on a Beach Scavenger hunt. Use a camera or notebook to “collect” your findings (unless they are washed up on shore…). Find: three different kinds of shells; seaweed; ; driftwood; bird tracks; a boat; a crab or other sea creature; a sand castle; footprints in the sand; someone fishing; cries of gull; sunhat; feather; bucket and shovel; small fish; pebbles or sea glass.
We’ll join Perfect
Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers
share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.
Such vibrant colors. Love it! This is the perfect book to take along to guide or prepare for beach exploration. We used to go tidepooling with our son when he was small. I think it was as thrilling for the adults as it was for the kids.
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