1,2,3 The Castles I See

1,2,3 The Castles I See was awarded the Wishing Shelf Book Bronze Award for 2023 in the Preschool Picture book category.

It is a perfect day to make sandcastles at the beach. All it takes is a shovel, a pail of water, and a little imagination. One castle can have colorful seaweed. Another can have sticks. A third can have shells or pretty stones. There are so many choices. Count them and see how many different ones there are.

Author-illustrator Sarah Downie collaborated with Deborah Motycka Downie to create this beach-themed counting book. Written in simple rhyme, the beautifully illustrated story describes ten different sandcastles made by ten friends. As children count from one to ten, they will recognize numbers, groupings, and patterns. By the end of the book, they will realize that everyone has their own creativity and individualism. Each one is different, and so are we.

Sarah Downie is an illustrator who lives in Stonington, Connecticut. She studied illustration at Montserrat College of Art, graduating in 2017. She writes as a hobby and also creates seasonal greeting cards, stories and art for commission. When she isn't creating art or working, she enjoys a nice cup of tea, reading a book, hiking in the woods and visiting her favorite beach. 1,2,3 The Castles I See is her second children's book. Check out her first book, The Beach Chase, on Amazon.com You can find some of her other artwork at: sarahdownieart.com

Deborah Motycka Downie is a geologist, mother and grandmother who lives with her family in Stonington, Connecticut. She loves to travel and loves the beach and was excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with her daughter on this book.