On the Edge of the Sea [Paperback]

Betty Paraskevas (Author), Michael Paraskevas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1999 | Age Level: 4 and up

I dreamed I lived on the edge of the sea

What would it be like to live in a sand castle at the edge of the sea? A little boy's dream captures the myriad wonders of a perfect day at the beach -- candy-striped umbrellas, shimmering kites, and brightly colored beach balls raining from the sky...even an iceberg!

Now available again, here is the delightful first book from the talented creators of Nick Jr.® television's Maggie and the Ferocious Beast. Betty and Michael Paraskevas are also the author and illustrator of Hoppy and Joe and the forthcoming Maggie and the Ferocious Beast: The Big Scare, both published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"A thoroughly winning debut," said PW of this mother-son collaboration that joins her rhymes with his "mischievous, animated illustrations" of "delightfully tubby beach-goers frolicking in the surf." Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- An uninspired poem in which a featureless young boy relates his dream of living on the shore in a sand castle. Friends arrive to spend the day, relax in candy-striped chairs, eat hot dogs, and frolic in the waves. The tone becomes slightly more fanciful as beach balls descend from the sky and a large iceberg floats across the page. In the evening, the boy's hat is captured by the wind and deposited on the edge of the moon. Standing on the beach as an adult, the narrator muses, ``I never had another dream as wonderful as that,/ But sometimes when I see the moon I wonder/ Why I never found my hat.'' Although the verses read smoothly enough, their singsong rhythm eventually becomes monotonous. The acrylic paintings, which depict scene after scene of brightly costumed bathers, have a textured look that suits the subject matter; however, many of the spreads are painted from the same point of view, resulting in a repetitive layout. Neither verbal nor visual images are particularly evocative, making this day at the beach easy to forget. --Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689825331
• ISBN-13: 978-0689825330
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,058,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Beach Story, August 15, 2001

By 

Meredith Goldstein (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Edge of the Sea (Hardcover)

My synopsis is the same as the previous reviewers': we checked this book out of the library several times for my three year old before he finally asked us to buy it for him for his birthday. He love the beautiful pictures of a day at the beach and enjoyed the rhyming story. I recommend it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great text, beautiful pictures, August 7, 2000

By 

J. French (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Edge of the Sea (Library Binding)

We checked this book out of the library and my 2 yr. old son wants to read it every night before bed. It is a wonderful story about a dream of a day on the beach. The pictures are delightful to look at, and have lots of interesting things to find page after page. I think it would be nice for children old enough to talk about their dreams or for children who may never have been to the beach, as well as most others. We have really enjoyed this book.