Sand, Sun and lots of Fun


© Heather Goldsmith
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Jul 7, 2001


The beach is one of those magical places where memories are made and images are strong. Waves crashing on the shore. The contrast of blue water, white foam, golden sand and lively colours of beach umbrellas, swim wear and buckets with spades. Beach balls, kites and an array of other toys to tantalize any child, let alone adults. Coloured zinc, sunscreen, banana lounges, coolers stacked with drinks and cooling snacks while the sun sizzles the skin. The sound of water breaking, the smell of salty sea air, the texture of the sand, especially when it's heavy in bottom of your kids bather pants or built into towering sand castles. The zing of salt on lips and tightening on skin. It's a feast for every one of our senses.

It's no wonder beach themes are so popular in children's stories. A sense of fun and play is often associated with the beach and every age group is aware of this. Once you start looking, the number of fiction titles dealing with beach themes can overwhelm you. This can only benefit your child, as you'll never run out of material to keep them reading through their entire childhood. Even if the beach is all they ever desire to read about. There is a continuity about the beach, and this gives kids a feeling of security. It's a place that's always there, throughout every season. Summer is the probably the favourite, though. As I mentioned before, images from the beach are easily identifiable. Picture books for younger readers with a love of the beach are a top choice for gifts and to seek out in the library.

If you regularly take vacations, holidays and short breaks by the beach your kids will particularly enjoy beach themes in fiction. Memories formed during this time make the beach something they are already familiar with. Stories covering aspects of beach play and lifestyle will give them a sense of excitement as they recognize the things they already understand. When reading to small children look for these kinds of objects in picture books to make them feel at ease about books. Balls, buckets and spades, kites, beach umbrellas, towels, sunglasses, hats, the list could go on and on. Allow them to point at the pictures and tell you what they see. Name the objects after they've made an attempt, even if they get them wrong.

Older readers will enjoy stories with substance and less pictures, but don't discount these images altogether. Some picture story books have breath-taking pictures, as seascapes are a popular subject for illustrators. If the illustrations are done well they should enhance the text and strengthen the story, becoming an integral part of the entire reading experience. Apart from the expected images and ideas presented in beach themes, sometimes the fantasy aspects are just as exciting for kids to read. Mermaids and other mythical creatures make excellent reading for children less intrigued by the ordinary world surrounding them. Sea monster tales can be based on real life, such as sharks, whales and unexplained mysteries. Take the idea of pirates and buried treasure and you can go off on another branch of this theme.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages
4.   Jul 9, 2001 5:15 PM
In response to message posted by JaneHollis:

The title of the book sounds excellent. Thanks for sharing it with readers. It soun ...

-- posted by bwheather
3.   Jul 9, 2001 5:09 PM
In response to message posted by MyGrammie:

Thanks for reading the article and so glad you enjoyed it. The beach is also a gre ...

-- posted by bwheather
2.   Jul 9, 2001 10:16 AM
My nearly 5 year old daughter just loves the seaside. One of her favourite picture books at the moment is called the Magic Beach. It has some lovely drawings and the theme of the book is the imagina ...

-- posted by JaneHollis
1.   Jul 9, 2001 5:32 AM
Hi Heather,
I have very fond memories of my childhood vacations spent at the beach. Reading was always an evening event with all us kids taking turns reading from "Treasure Island". We had worlds to ...

-- posted by MyGrammie



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