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One White Wishing Stone: A Beach Day Counting Book [Hardcover]

Doris Gayzagian
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.95
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Summer Reading
Summer Reading
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Book Description

May 9, 2006 3 - 7 years
National Geographic Books present a delightful new title that is sure to become a children's summer classic.

Writer Doris Gayzagian and illustrator Kristina Swarner have collaborated to produce a magical, poetic counting book. A mother and child's day at the beach is brought to life in 32 beautifully illustrated pages of simple verse, capturing every child's delight in the natural joys of the seashore.

The young girl and her mother make their first footprints in the sand early on a summer morning. The child's mind is soon swept up in exploration and discovery as she eagerly counts all the newfound natural wonders of the seashore.

Each fresh page shines brightly with the magic sparkle of a child's summertime: from arriving and setting up a sun umbrella…to splashing around in a tide pool…to lovingly building a sandcastle decorated with seashells and feathers…to the return home and tucking into bed. In the evocative ebb and flow of words and pictures, the learning of names and the counting of beach creatures and the ocean's flotsam becomes a shared journey of discovery and joy for parents and young children.

Kristina Swarner's illustrations will transport young imaginations to the wonderland of sea, sand, and sun. Once there, young readers and listeners will learn to name this world through the comforting repetition and engaging simplicity of Doris Gayzagian's rhymes. This is the perfect summer book for children, and parents, who relish the delight of discovery and the endless fascination of long, hot days at the shore.

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One White Wishing Stone: A Beach Day Counting Book + Hello Ocean
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS–Mother and daughter spend an idyllic day at a deserted beach. The little girl enumerates the treasures such as shells and feathers that she finds and incorporates many of them into an elaborate sandcastle. Gayzagian's verse maintains an easy rhythm, and alliteration adds aural interest. Swarner's watercolors recall the world of French impressionists, where a rosy-cheeked child can keep her white dress spotless through hours of play. Together words and pictures create a summer of memory or longing. This bedtime book ends with the two characters drifting to sleep as one white wishing stone and two periwinkle shells rest on the window ledge. The quiet story may evoke a similar response in young listeners winding down after a day of outdoor activity on the beach or elsewhere.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Doris Gayzagian is an early childhood educator and poetry slam champion. This is her debut book.

Kristina Swarner is a book and card illustrator whose work includes Before You Were Born.

Product Details

  • Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  • Hardcover: 32 pages
  • Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (May 9, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0792251105
  • ISBN-13: 978-0792251101
  • Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 0.3 x 9.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
(6)
4.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars summer delights August 29, 2006
Format:Hardcover
For any child who has taken home a seashell or a special stone from the beach, this book will rekindle memories of a wonderful day spent at the shore. The lilt of language here is complemented by the gentleness of the images. This lovely book will be enjoyed by parents reading aloud and by children listening and analyzing the pictures.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book March 30, 2008
Format:Hardcover
I really love this artist's work (Kristina Swarner) which is what led me to purchase the book. That and my love of the seaside... The art in the book is beautiful and, in my opinion, the standout feature. The story is sweet, too. A very simple, rhyming tale of seaside objects that are counted one to ten. Recommended for art lovers, mothers of young daughters (sons too, although the story features a girl), and seaside lovers.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous. January 3, 2008
Format:Hardcover
Doris K. Gayzagian, One White Wishing Stone: A Beach Day Counting Book (National Geographic, 2006)

This is one of the best kids' books I've read in the last few months-- a very simple counting book raised above its humble stature by fantastic, eye-catching illustrations by Kristina Swarner (add a "dot com" after her name to check out some of her work online). Gayzagian's words sparkle with rhythm and alliteration, wonderfully complemented by Swarner's slightly out-of-focus landscapes of sand, sun, and ocean. This one's a keeper. *** ˝
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3.0 out of 5 stars Just ok October 10, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Artwork could have been better... especially when it is a book kids need to count objects in Some of the items counted are not typically seen on California beaches. Just was expecting book to be better.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful to be a counting book May 4, 2011
Format:Hardcover
Most counting books are fairly mundane - you count to ten. Sometimes people get freaky and you count DOWN to one, or you count by multiples, or you get the overachiever counting-book authors who go up to ten (or sometimes higher) and then all the way back down. Regardless, while a good educational lesson, they're not precisely emotionally stimulating.

This book jumps way past simple counting text (which, incidentally, itself winds down at about the half-way mark to make way for more lively situational rhymes) by virtue of the beautiful, hauntingly simplistic impressionistic page-spreads. The little girl is simply and classically drawn, and her environment is correct without being overly detailed. (Check the "skate egg cases" page for a perfect example, although we always called them 'devil's purses.')

The day of simple isolated enjoyment of nature and imagination (there's no one else around but mom and little girl) finishes off sweetly with a focus on sleepy memories and fond recollection of good times, both excellent lessons for young children (and sometimes their parents) about a time-tested way to find simple pleasures in life where you can find them.

As a former beach resident (I miss it so!) this story is a treasure, reminding me of many good times in the past, and hopefully in my future as well!
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Basic counting book with descriptions of things found on the bay/beach. I didn't much like this book until I got to the eleventh page and the little girl started making things with the items she found, "I make a castle in the sand with walls and steps and towers And trim it with the things I've found and make believe for hours..." This was the only page that made me smile with my own memories of the beach. The pictures are a bit drab and washed out. This story held my interest just long enough to finish, but doesn't really stand out for me.
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