Beachy Countdown

Counting, numbers, and number words have never been so much fun! Author Hope Taylor Spencer's third engaging, rhyming children's picture book shows life at the beach for all kinds of marine animals and laughing children having bushels of fun in the gentle waves and in the sand. Whether you prefer pelicans, dolphins, sharks, sea stars, crabs, fish, sea turtles, or jellyfish, there's something for you in this captivating book. And you'll see turreted, splendid sandcastles to boot. The cheerful children ringed with multicolored floats who jump in the foam and dig in

the sand will make you want to join them at the beach. Their fun day starts with a happy sun and closes with a winking moon. Lively, colorful, entertaining artwork will engage readers, oral readers, and listeners alike. When you read this lively story, you'll want to wear flipflops, a swimsuit, a beach hat, and sunglasses and create the mood with colorful beach towels, intriguing shells, various floats, buckets and shovels, and a large beach umbrella to further enjoy the appeal of the beach.

Hope Taylor Spencer is the proud daughter of a military family. She has lived in 11 states and Puerto Rico!As she moved around, Hope learned that she could fi nd great friends in books. She spent many happy daysreading about the world and dreamed of someday writing her own book for children.As an elementary teacher, Hope shared her love of books with her students. Her happiest moments inthe classroom were the ones spent reading aloud, especially when she read the stories she loved as a child.Her greatest joy was to see one of her students reading and rereading a book independently. As joyful andsatisfying as teaching was for Hope, she longed to write a story of her own. A book that children would wantto explore over and over.Another constant in Hope's life was the beach. She visited beaches on the shores of Lake Huron inMichigan and on the coasts of California, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. But her favorite beaches were theones her grandparents took her to visit every summer in North Carolina. Hope was fascinated by the water, the sand, the seashells, the culture, and the sea life. She knew she would write a story about the beach oneday.Today Hope lives in a small town near the coast of North Carolina just like the one her grandparents livedin so many years ago. She lives with her husband, Brent, and their two small dogs, Joey and Sandy. Hopeloves reading, gardening, spending time with family, and, of course, visiting the beach.