Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
S is for Sea Glass: A Beach Alphabet
Illustrator: Doris Ettlinger
Poetry Picture Book Series
For ages 6 to 9
Sleeping Bear Press, 2014 ISBN: 978-1585368624
For people who don’t live near the sea or ocean, going to the beach in the summer is often a delightful treat. There are so many things to do and to see. There are so many adventures waiting to be found. For some, creating a sand angel is the perfect way to start a seaside visit. All one has to do is to lie down on the sand and then open and close ones arms and legs as if one is “opening and closing a fairy-tale gate.”
Of course a sojourn at the seaside would not be complete if one did not build a sandcastle. The more elaborate it is “with turrets and towers,” and perhaps with “parapets, arrow slits, keeps, and a moat,” the better. Kite flying is also a popular thing to do. At least with a kite you can be sure to have a “bite,” which cannot be said for fishing.
Humans are not the only ones who enjoy a vacation at the beach. Dogs also love to roll in the sand, “Dive into the surf,” sniff at everything and anything, fetch sticks, and run here, there, and everywhere.
For every letter of the alphabet this book’s author gives his readers a poem that focuses on something that is associated with being at the beach. Each poem has its own flavor and voice, so readers find something new and different on every page. Some of the poems are amusing, while others are more contemplative. In the book there is blank verse, rhyming verse, haiku, and many other poetry forms to explore. Throughout the book the poems are paired with wonderful illustrations, all of which complement the poetry beautifully.
