Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Going on a Journey to the Sea
Illustrator: Doris Barrette
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Lobster Press, 2002 ISBN: 978-1894222341
Meg and her little brother are off to the sea, the sea they have never seen, and what an adventure their journey turns out to be. There is the train that goes "clickety-clickety-clack" and a bus which leaves the children in a helplessly "jiggly, giggly" state. Then they ride on bicycles past a marsh full of waving grass until at last they are there and the sea lies before them.
With a wonderfully bouncy, rhyming cadence and cheerfully bright illustrations "Going on a Journey to the Sea" beautifully captures the excitement of the two children and the joy they experience once they get to the end of their journey. The rhythm gently settles, and unwinds as the day comes to a close and the children leave the seaside and head for home. Jane Barclay's text and Doris Barrette's illustrations are well paired in this summery tale.