Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Walker (Dirt's Journey) and Kwon (Balloon) invite readers on young Cora and her grandmother's beach adventure in this thoughtfully crafted chapter book with a STEAM-focused angle. Simple plotting featuring gentle twists and turns follows the pale-skinned protagonists as they build sandcastles and explore tide pools. In sentences designed to stretch developing readers' skills, short, sound-outable words, including Cora and Gran, appear alongside slightly more challenging vocabulary, including beach and castle. STEAM concepts are seamlessly interwoven throughout: Cora, experimenting with sand consistency, learns to adjust the building material's water content to perfect her castle, and a later discovery of a stranded sea star introduces habitats and marine life. Following a decadent ice cream sundae treat ("the perfect ending for our beach adventure," Gran notes), Cora determines to bring the wonders of her outing to her brother, Ben, "as a story! My story will have splash monsters, tide pools, and a sea-star rescue," a sentiment that encourages readers to connect observation with imagination. Sunny watercolor illustrations match the text's bright and playful tone, while back matter offers scientific facts and a hands-on sand activity, making for a highly readable adventure that champions critical thinking and creativity. Ages 5--7. (June)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--2--This story spends a day at the beach with a little girl named Cora and her grandmother, who takes advantage of their time together by gently encouraging Cora's natural curiosity in the world around her. Whether making sandcastles, watching the waves, or looking for tidepools, Gran always lets Cora's interest guide their activities and patiently allows Cora the space to experiment and arrive at her own conclusions. Although Cora and Gran do not have any identifiable personality traits to make them stand out as characters, they have a charming and realistic bond that serves well to hold the reader's interest and propel the story forward. Cora's scientific experiments are age-appropriate and easy for young readers to follow, making this a suitable nonfiction companion for developing readers who are ready for more structured stories. Readers will likely need assistance with the more advanced text of the back matter, which includes scientific detail about Cora's discoveries and a sandcastle experiment to try at home. Though not clearly stated, Gran, Cora, her father, and her brother could be Asian and Cora's mother appears to be white. VERDICT A good additional purchase where teachers like to incorporate themed reading activities into class science lessons.--Jennifer Taylor
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