When several children spend a day at the beach, each engages curiously, imaginatively, and playfully with what he or she discovers.
A girl finds a shell, and thinks, “This is just a shell. Or is it? / To a clam, it’s a door. / To an octopus, it’s a shield. / And to an otter, it’s a tool. / But to me, it’s a TREASURE!”
A boy discovers driftwood, and ponders, “This is just driftwood. Or is it? / To a fish, it’s a nursery. / To a pelican, it’s a raft. / And to a seal, it’s a pillow. / But to me it’s a pencil.”
Other children realize that a stone is not just a stone to a barnacle, a fly, and a starfish. And a sandpile is not just a sandpile to a crab, a seagull, and beach grass.
Author Becca McMurdie’s whimsical narrative and illustrator Paola Escobar’s inviting artwork capture the majesty of God’s creation of seashore environments and the creatures who inhabit them, and celebrate the God-given uniqueness of each child and the way they perceive the world. (Abrams)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.