Good night, good beach
Description
An evocative bedtime picture book that distills the essence of a family summer at the beach—skin sticky with salt, sandy feet, waves hush-hushing, and a shell under the pillow.
Summer holidays by the sea have a rhythm all their own. With a few resonant images, Cowley takes us straight to the end of a long hot day with beach treasures under the pillow and the salty smell of the sea. The cadence of the final words echoes the shushing waves in a gentle signal of time for readers to sleep—"good day, good sea, good sand, good night."
This simple poem by internationally renowned author Joy Cowley transports the reader to a childhood summer with language that asks to be read over and over. Hilary Jean Tapper's warm watercolor-and-ink illustrations add an inclusive cast of extended family, friends, and children of different ages.
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Published Reviews
Booklist Review
Sharing a bedroom in a cottage at the beach, children of assorted ages wake up and head outside for a day of sun and sand as well as the sight and the sound of waves rolling in. "Moon at the window, / sea by the door / waves hush-hushing / on the shore." The rhyming verses of Cowley's poem establish a sense of place and a breezy, relaxing tone, while the illustrations visually create the characters, five children and three adults, who are enjoying a vacation together, complete with simple seaside activities. First published in New Zealand, the book reflects the mood of a family staying by the water in North America as well. Tapper's illustrations, simple yet lively ink drawings with soft watercolor washes, are particularly evocative of a child's beach experience. Despite the sunlight still pouring into their shared bedroom, as the day draws to a close, the tired but content children fall asleep, and the poem ends with "Good day, / good sea, / good sand, / good night." A pleasing, summery picture book.
Booklist Reviews
Sharing a bedroom in a cottage at the beach, children of assorted ages wake up and head outside for a day of sun and sand as well as the sight and the sound of waves rolling in. "Moon at the window, / sea by the door / waves hush-hushing / on the shore." The rhyming verses of Cowley's poem establish a sense of place and a breezy, relaxing tone, while the illustrations visually create the characters, five children and three adults, who are enjoying a vacation together, complete with simple seaside activities. First published in New Zealand, the book reflects the mood of a family staying by the water in North America as well. Tapper's illustrations, simple yet lively ink drawings with soft watercolor washes, are particularly evocative of a child's beach experience. Despite the sunlight still pouring into their shared bedroom, as the day draws to a close, the tired but content children fall asleep, and the poem ends with "Good day, / good sea, / good sand, / good night." A pleasing, summery picture book. Preschool-Grade 3. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.