A Beach Tail - Hardcover

Williams, Karen Lynn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1590787129 ISBN 13: 9781590787120

Publisher: Astra Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

How will Gregory find his way back to Dad? Swish-swoosh . . . Gregory draws a lion in the sand. "Don't go in the water, and don't leave Sandy," warns Dad. But the sandy lion grows a tail that gets longer and longer—and soon Gregory is lost on the beach. This wonderful read-aloud book brings to life a summer experience that is all too familiar for young children. Karen Williams's rhythmic text has been paired with Floyd Cooper's brilliant illustrations, revealing the trip down the beach entirely from a child's point of view. A gentle father-son bond is shown in both text and art, reassuring young readers even as they share in Greg's moment of worry at finding himself lost and alone.

About this title

About the Author

Karen Lynn Williams is the author of over a dozen books for children, including the beloved titles Galimoto and recent award-winners such as Four Feet, Two Sandals and Circles of Hope. Her books often feature children in developing countries, and she has lived and worked in both Africa and Haiti. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Floyd Cooper (1956–2021) illustrated over 110 books for children, including Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, for which he was awarded a Caldecott Honor, the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and a Sibert Honor. He was also the recipient of the CorettaScott King Award for The Blacker the Berry; three Coretta Scott King Honors for I Have Heard of a Land, Meet Danitra Brown, and Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea; 10 ALA Notables; and an NAACP Image Award, among other honors. Visit floydcooper.com.

Reviews

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—A charming tale of creativity and discovery. When Gregory draws a lion in the sand, his father suggests that it needs a tail and a name. As the child begins making a tail with a stick, Dad reminds him, "Don't go into the water, and don't leave Sandy." Although Gregory does not go into the water, his interpretation of not leaving Sandy is highly suspect. As he continues to draw the tail, it leads him a long way down the beach. Gregory winds it around a purple jellyfish, a sandcastle, a horseshoe crab, and more, until he reaches a jetty. He turns around and has lost sight of Dad, but fortunately is clever enough to follow the tail back past his landmarks, until he finds part of Sandy, whose body has been washed away. Gregory is happy and relieved to see his father sitting under the blue umbrella on the dolphin towel. The pastel illustrations use a soft, muted palette and have a grainy, beachlike feel to them. Cooper does an outstanding job of using perspective to underscore the immensity of the beach and sea. Gregory's facial expressions are full of wonder and curiosity as he finds small discoveries during his adventure. A wonderful summer tale to share one-on-one or with a group.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY
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The titular tail refers here to a lion drawn in the sand by Gregory, an intrepid boy who, in extending the tail with a stick, winds up exploring a broad length of beach without quite disobeying his dad's directive to not wander away. As the boy goes further and further, he comes across such common seaside sights as a jellyfish, a crumbling sand castle, a horseshoe crab, and a ghost crab. Finally realizing the distance he has traveled, he traces his tail, with its swirls and zigzags, back past the objects he has found. Williams, who always takes readers on a worthwhile journey, accentuates her straightforward telling with the repetitive sounds of the shore (“Swish-swoosh”), which also punctuate Gregory's embellishments of the long tail. Cooper's warm, peachy-brown palette splendidly evokes the seaside setting, and his talent for expressive faces and texture (he won the 2009 Coretta Scott King Award for The Blacker the Berry) works to draw in viewers. A lovely collaboration suited for every collection. Preschool-Grade 2. --Karen Cruze

Edition details

• Publisher: Astra Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1590787129
• ISBN 13: 9781590787120
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Cooper Floyd
• Number of pages: 32