Seashells by the Seashore (Sharing Nature With Children Book) [Paperback]

Marianne Berkes (Author), Robert Noreika (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Sharing Nature With Children Book

Both classroom teachers and vacationing parents will find this little book to be a charmer. Counting from one to twelve, Sue picks up shells--periwinkle, kittens paw, scallop--and carefully adds them to her bucket as a gift for Grandma. She and her friend identify the shells, and when they discover one that still has the mollusk living inside they put it back in the water--learning that shells are actually the (usually) abandoned homes of sea animals.The paperback edition contains a tear-out shell identification card to enhance the hands-on lesson in simple wonders from nature.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3--In this rhyming text, a young girl accumulates a dozen shells as a gift for Grandma's birthday. Watercolor seashore vistas feature blonde Sue as she enlists her brother and his friend in finding her treasures. A vertical bar on the left side of each spread gathers the labeled collection together for viewing as the day progresses. Berkes offers ample facts in her rhymes, and gives a short paragraph of information on each type of shell on a spread at the end. Though informative, the text occasionally trails into trite rhyming pairs such as, "How the seashells glisten/In the sun that shines from heaven./Here's a bumpy Oyster Shell/So that makes seven." Noreika's detailed, realistic shell studies gracefully contrast with the misty landscapes that capture a range of unique seaside hues. While the tear-out identification card for readers to use as they roam the shore may soon be lost, young beachcombers will still be able to appreciate this lesson.
Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-7. Through a lyrical counting rhyme, children accompany Sue as she walks the shore, collecting seashells for her grandmother. The rhythmic lines reinforce numbers 1 through 12, while describing individual shells and explaining what shells are and how they came to be on the sandy shore. The strongstroked watercolor art subtly educates, depicting not only the traditional sweep of wide, clean, swimmers' beach but also the rougher edges of the shore. It's along the shore that sea birds prowl alongside Sue, among the large, rough boulders and between the feathers, driftwood, and other ocean debris caught in tangles of dried seaweed and rocks. With each turn of the page, a new shell is discovered, identified, and displayed in the wide left margin. At rhyme's end, the text elaborates on the poem's basic facts, delivering details about each particular shell. A seashell identification chart completes an instructive shell hunt that children will enjoy even if they can't feel the sun on their backs or sand between their toes. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dawn Pubns; 1 edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584690348
• ISBN-13: 978-1584690344
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 10.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Water
  • #56 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Marine Life > Nonfiction
  • #67 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Water

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seashells by the Seashore Encourages Discovery, May 15, 2002

By 

"jcsull9" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seashells by the Seashore (Sharing Nature With Children Book) (Paperback)

Seashells by the Seashore had my five and seven year olds running to find shells they had already collected to discover their names. To their delight, the shells they had were featured in the book. What I particularly like about the book is its interactive nature, encouraging children to go beyond the pages and explore the seashore searching for the shells they had read and learned about. My children are planning to bring the book on an upcoming beach vacation, and the pull-out shell reference card, an added bonus.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seashell Fun....., September 11, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seashells by the Seashore (Sharing Nature With Children Book) (Paperback)

"Sue walks along the seashore/warmed by the sun./Picking up seashells one by one..." Author, Marianne Berkes, takes readers on a wondrous seaside adventure in her third picture book, Seashells By The Seashore. Come count the beautiful shells, learn their names, and watch your collection grow on the lefthand border of each two page spread as you walk along the beach..... Ms Berkes lilting, rhyming text is engaging and complemented by Robert Noreika's captivating watercolor illustrations. Together, word and art send you to the beach on a hot summer day, and you'll almost be able to feel the sand between your toes, hear the crash of the waves, and smell the salty sea air. Additional information about each shell and the mollusks that live inside can be found at the end of the book, and young nature detectives, ages 4-8, will revel in this joyous, fun-filled hike along the shore.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner from Berkes!, May 6, 2002

By 

Wendy Karspeck (Smithfield, Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seashells by the Seashore (Sharing Nature With Children Book) (Paperback)

Berkes's has done it again and this time the subject of her book is one of my favorite nature items! A truly informative book; I can finally name all the sea shells I have thanks to the descriptions within the story and glossary at the end. The unique set up of this book identifies each shell as the main character finds them which can be used to promote counting in young children, and memory/matching games for older children. Berkes also includes questions at the end to foster further investigation in the reader. The pull-out, waterproof shell identification chart merits a field trip to the beach. Noreika's breath taking watercolor illustrations illuminate the shoreline from morning to dusk. The book's poignant ending instills the value that a gift from the heart is better than a monetary one.