Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

A Beach Tail

A Beach Tail

Karen Lynn Williams
Picture Book
For ages 3 to 6
Boyds Mills Press, 2010   ISBN: 978-1590787120

Gregory and his father are at the beach, and Gregory draws a picture of a lion in the sand. His dad comes over to look at Gregory’s picture and he tells Gregory not to go into the water. He also asks Gregory to stay with the lion, Sandy, and to give him a tail.

Happily, Gregory begins to draw a tail for Sandy the lion. He does not go into the water at all. Instead, he moves down the beach drawing Sandy's tail. He draws the tail around a stranded jellyfish and through an old sand castle. He zigzags around a horseshoe crab and around a crab hole in the sand. Even when the waves “tickle” his toes, Gregory remembers his father’s words and he does not go into the water. Instead, he stays with Sandy the lion's tail.

This inviting picture book perfectly captures the sounds and sights that a little boy experiences during a day at the beach. The adventure is a simple one, but it also gently conveys an important message that little children will recognize and appreciate.