Day at the Beach, by Tom Booth

Miss 3 is loving ‘Day at the Beach‘ right now, and because of that, I am loving it.

The story is very simple, even predictable, for adults. A family visits a beach and the older brother insists on building the perfect sandcastle alone. He is successful and surrounded by people, but not the right people. We know the type of feel-good ending that is coming.

You would think that by now I would realise that my children still have lots to learn, and just because this type of story is almost boring to me, to a 3 yr old it is a revelation about how relationships work and where true happiness can be found.

Tom Booth’s illustrations are big, colourful, and very appropriate for the age group this book will appeal to. This is the type of book where the pictures really do tell the story. I would think most young children could understand the story without evening having the words read to them.

So it is being read on repeat at the moment. In fact, Miss 3 told me she loved the last page so, so much she wished she could have it on her pillow and blanket.

“How are we going to do that?”

Secretively whispers, “We can cut it out”

Oh, great. Now I have to hide the scissors so she doesn’t cut up a brand new library book.