Beach Is to Fun : A Book of Relationships

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–This celebration of words describes summertime fun. Each spread contains a pair of rhyming analogies, such as "Sea is to salty as candy is to sweet./Hat is to head as sandals are to feet." Although some of the word choices seem forced to fit the rhyme scheme, many of the comparisons are clever, such as "Grains are to beach as drops are to sea./Gramps is to Dad as Dad is to me." The vibrant acrylic-and-pastel paintings feature a boy, a girl, and their quirky dog enjoying a variety of activities: swimming in the ocean, playing ball, building sand castles, visiting the playground, and spending a day at the pool. The bright, eclectic illustrations are infused with energy and include many amusing details–the dog reads a newspaper in a lounge chair, the boy rafts down a river past several African animals, a poodle in a convertible puts on makeup. Children will enjoy this cheery lesson on word relationships.–Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 3. Brisson introduces verbal analogies in a playful picture book that makes a game of connecting words in meaningful ways. The result is plenty of fun as well as a different way of thinking about the logical relationships between words, relationships phrased in a way that is closer structurally to mathematical equations than to everyday speech: "Sun is to yellow / as cloud is to white. / Up is to down / as left is to right." Each wide, double-page spread features two couplets illustrated in jaunty acrylic-and-pastel pictures that are energized by bold color combinations. Younger children will be satisfied listening to the rhyming couplets bounce along, but older ones may enjoy the inherent challenge the rhymes present. Parents and teachers using the book may be looking down the road toward standardized tests and even verbal SATs, but Brisson's playful approach gives children a more immediate and inviting reason to look for relationships between paired words. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"[I]t bounces along."

"Children will enjoy this cheery lesson on word relationships."

"Brisson introduces verbal analogies in a playful picture book that makes a game of connecting words in meaningful ways. The result is plenty of fun as well as a different way of thinking..."



Review
"[I]t bounces along."

"Children will enjoy this cheery lesson on word relationships."

"Brisson introduces verbal analogies in a playful picture book that makes a game of connecting words in meaningful ways. The result is plenty of fun as well as a different way of thinking..."



Book Description
Gull is to sky
as shell is to sand.
Child is to family
as finger is to hand.

Here's a book that makes learning about analogies
as much fun as going to the beach

A trip to the beach-and all the excitement that surrounds it-unfolds in this cheerful picture book chock-full of engaging wordplay and sensory detail. The rhythmic text explores the concept of analogies in an accessible, immediate way. Children can begin to make their own associations and pairings as they long for a day by the sea!



About the Author
PAT BRISSON has always loved the beach and especially the Jersey shore. She is the author of more than twenty books for children, including Bertie's Picture Day; Little Sister, Big Sister; and Hot Fudge Hero, which was named a Parents' Choice Honor Book and one of New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing." Ms. Brisson lives in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
SACHIKO YOSHIKAWA grew up in Tokyo but spent many summers visiting the beaches of southern Japan. Her childhood memories served as inspiration when creating the pictures for this book. Ms. Yoshikawa is also the illustrator of Stars. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband.



Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

A summery tale brightly colored as a beach ball-if a little heavy on the teaching thing. Brisson has made a rhymed text entirely of analogies: this is to that as this is to that, and that's the problem. Because it's a rhyme and focused on a day at the beach, one might find oneself questioning the validity of some of the analogies. For example, "Sun is to yellow / as cloud is to white" may have every kid who has ever seen a pink or grey cloud (or a red or orange sun) doubting the connection. And, "Toss is to catch / as fast is to slow" actually doesn't cut it. Having said that, it bounces along, most of the analogies work, and the acrylic and pastel pictures, with their round-headed, button-eyed figures, tropical fruit colors, and scenes of going to the playground, beach, pool, and boat are lively. (Picture book. 5-7)


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices