And did just that.
She sang every song she knew while
dancing up and down Swashby's deck.
"What now?" she asked.
"NOW VANISH!" Swashby wrote later that evening,
adding a starfish exclamation point.
And the sea fiddled, just a little."
Swashby loves the sea, and his life beside it. No one knows as much about this old man as the sea does. He lives a life of peace and contentment; alone, and happy to be. The day comes when that life changes greatly. It begins with the little girl who moves into the house next door. She and her grandmother upset all of his peace and solitude.
Swashby is perturbed, and makes his feelings known by refusing to answer the door, or eat the cookies they leave. He doesn't need company. To be sure they know his true feelings, he writes a note in the sand - NO TRESPASSING.
The sea he loves turns traitor, changing the note to something a little girl can read - SING. That, she does, and she dances on Swashby's deck. Each new message in the sand does nothing to deter the girl and her grandmother from trying to make a new friend. The sea does nothing to help. Swashby mumbles and grumbles, doing his best to avoid them at all costs. As luck and persistence would have it, the little girl begins to grow on the crochety old man. He does what he can to teach her about the sand and the sea. When a near catastrophe happens, Swashby finds a whole new side to himself.
The prolific Peter Reynolds has said that a great book for children is 'wisdom dipped in words and art'. That is absolutely the case here. The sea is as much a character as the people in this very special story. It would not be as charming were it not for the acrylic, colored pencil and graphite artwork that adds a depth and beauty to enhance its every well-chosen word. This is a wonderful addition to your 'perfect readaloud' basket. Your kids and students will want to hear it on repeat.
No comments:
Post a Comment