Seashells by the Seashore
Kindergarten-Grade 3--In this rhyming text, a young girl accumulates a dozen shells as a gift for Grandma's birthday. Watercolor seashore vistas feature blonde Sue as she enlists her brother and his friend in finding her treasures. A vertical bar on the left side of each spread gathers the labeled collection together for viewing as the day progresses. Berkes offers ample facts in her rhymes, and gives a short paragraph of information on each type of shell on a spread at the end. Though informative, the text occasionally trails into trite rhyming pairs such as, "How the seashells glisten/In the sun that shines from heaven./Here's a bumpy Oyster Shell/So that makes seven." Noreika's detailed, realistic shell studies gracefully contrast with the misty landscapes that capture a range of unique seaside hues. While the tear-out identification card for readers to use as they roam the shore may soon be lost, young beachcombers will still be able to appreciate this lesson.Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.