The Beach Patrol [Hardcover]

Max Bilkins (Author), John O'Brien (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Uh, oh! Someone is caught in a rip. GET READY! Alert the other stands. RESCUE!

Just another day by the sea? For the beach patrol, every day is full of adventure!

It takes a lot to make a beach run smoothly. From early-morning sand raking to locating a lost child or safely ushering in an oncoming storm-the beach community has a pulsing rhythm all its own.

Complete with an up-close search and rescue, this informative picture book offers an intriguing look at the daily inner workings of the beach patrol. There are also interesting facts on first aid, weather, wildlife, and more. So take a seat "back beach" or come a little closer and "stand wet" to get the inside scoop on a lifeguard's world.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Two veteran Jersey-shore lifeguards recount a "day in the life" at their jobs in this playfully illustrated, surprisingly information-packed picture book.

A day at the beach begins at 6 a.m., and kids who are reading along should immediately know that they're in for some fun as various industrial vehicles roll out to clean beach litter and prep the sand. Each big rig (from the Surf Rake to the Sanitizer to the Sifter) gets described in detail in a band that runs across the bottom of the spread, setting up a format that continues throughout the book. The action plays out with engaging text on the top part of the page ("10-95! Form a search party! Calm the frantic parent!") as detailed drawings and fun facts roll out underneath. Kids will have a hard time dividing their attention between the action-packed scenes on top (featuring every beach scene and activity imaginable) and the illustrated beach trivia down below (ranging from wildlife and equipment to lingo and ancient lifeguard lore).

With over 65 years of beach-patrolling between them, John O'Brien and Max Bilkins convey the obvious love that they have for both the beach and their vocation. Kids and grownups will likely learn a few things, and the dense format and heavily populated illustrations should encourage many repeat reads. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5–Lieutenant lifeguards O'Brien and Bilkins describe the duties and equipment of the beach patrol, surf characteristics, safety rules, and the behavior of "shoobies" and bathers over the course of a busy summer day. Each spread has text and O'Brien's trademark, humorously detailed, pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoons. They cover three-fourths of the page with a running footnote strip that contains illustrated trivia and terminology relating to the shore and the beach patrons (e.g., what a lifeguard's various whistles mean). A useful and fun addition for any seaside community or their hordes of summer visitors.–Doris Losey, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805069119
• ISBN-13: 978-0805069112
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,974,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Heroes!, February 12, 2008

By 

Molly Roberts Miller (Harrisburg, PA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach Patrol (Hardcover)

I simply cannot believe that this book has gone un~reviewed for nearly 4 years! I am a collector of children's literature, particularly books with a seashore theme. Three generations (my grandchildren, my daughter and I) formed the "Jefferson Street All Girls Book Club" last summer, although I had been stashing beach books away since before the two "Littles" were born! This book moved right to "#1" on our list and will open the summer season (one short week) in Cape May, NJ, in July!
Amazingly, the author and illustrator are our seashore neighbors! They are both lieutenant lifeguards along the New Jersey coast. Gee ~ They're brave, handsome and heroic as well as being SMART! The text and illustrations are simply fantastic. The book is extremely informative and chronicles a day in the life of a lifeguard in an interesting (and non-scary)manner. You must see the detailed illustrations sprinkled throughout the book to truly appreciate what a real "beach find" this book is. You and your young reading partners will learn much more than just the working of the lifeguard system. The illustrations of tiny bits of beach flora and fauna are an extra~special treat.
I am still as impressed and thrilled by the sight of a lifeguard on his stand today as I was 50~some years ago! After the "Littles" are in bed, their grandmother will still be paging through this real "gift from the sea".

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Happy - Way too late!!!!, August 24, 2009

By 

Deborah A. Sarin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beach Patrol (Hardcover)

I ordered this item over 4 weeks ago and have NOT received it yet!!!! Takes too much time to receive from this vender. Will never order anything from that vender again!!!!!