It’s summer! Time to head to the beach and enjoy today’s Perfect Picture Book.
Title: If You Spot a Shell
Written & Illustrated By: Aimée Sicuro
Publisher/Date: Random House Studio/2024
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: beach, imagination, shells
Opening:
If you spot a shell it could be a hiding place for the treasures that you find.
Brief Synopsis: A young girl spends a day at the beach finding shells and imagining a world of adventure in these small treasures.
Links to Resources:
- Try the sand art project and shell rubbings activities in the back matter;
- Find more activities here;
- Learn more about shells.
Why I Like this Book:
For many kids, and I count myself among them, no trip to the beach is complete without a search for shells. In If You Spot a Shell, Sicuro takes this one step further: not only does a young girl hunt for shells at the beach, but these shells form the heart of an imaginative and fun day. In spread after spread, readers experience many different ways to imagine shells as, among other things, a ferris wheel, tutus, and a submarine.
Sicuro uses photographs of real shells within these imaginative illustrations. The end pages feature photographs of these and other shells.
With its low word count, If You Spot a Shell is perfect for very young children. Older children will love it, too, as they stretch their imaginations and consider what activities they could enjoy using seashells.
A Note about Craft:
If You Spot a Shell is part of the “if you find a treasure” series. Sicuro combines photos of small “treasures”, perfect for little hands and imaginations, with illustrations of charming characters and relatable scenes. Such a child-friendly way to look at the world.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 