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"On a trip to the beach, Buddy Bear collects seashells and his Mama teaches
him about the animals that made them. Buddy is the perfect curious pupil; young
readers will experience the sights, sounds and textures of the beach through his
senses. Mama introduces lots of mollusk vocabulary, explaining in
easy-to-understand language what each new word means, and linking it to words
and concepts that children already know (mantle and skin, bivalve and bicycle).
Wallace presents quite a bit of information, and she will keep readers'
attention by breaking up the learning with Buddy's numerous snack breaks and
clever wordplay jokes. The artwork is a combination of cut-paper and real
shells. The curious result keeps the focus on the shells, highlighting each one
and making sure none blends into the background. Backmatter presents a few more
seashell facts and gives directions in making a bookmark. A stellar introduction
to mollusks and the shells they make; an informative, accessible and necessary
addition to any seaside library and every school where oceans are studied."
STARRED REVIEW
"Buddy and his
mother make a spring trip to the ocean. As they stroll along the sandy beach,
the inquisitive cub collects treasures. As he adds each shell to his bucket, his
mother tells him its name and shares pertinent details about it. The book
concludes with additional shell details and clear directions for crafting an
"I Shell Return" bookmark. Mingled with the creative paper-cut
illustrations are many crisp, color photographs. Front endpapers show examples
of cold-water shells, while back endpapers feature samples of warm-water shells.
This book would be a wonderful selection for caregivers to read as preparation
for a beach trip. It also integrates well with primary-grade units on marine
life.
–Lynn
K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield,
OH"
"A bear named Buddy
and his mother stroll along the shore picking up seashells at low tide. During
their morning at the beach, Mama provides interesting facts and plenty of food,
while Buddy makes discoveries, relates the sea animals’ external skeletons
to his own internal one, discovers the sound of the ocean in a shell, and learns
that a conchologist is one who "collects shells and looks at shells and learns
all about shells." The collage illustrations use cut papers to create the
characters and setting, as well as photo elements to depict actual shells,
making the book all the more useful. The shells show up well in contrast to
the plain colors and flat surfaces that serve as their backdrops. The closing
pages present miscellaneous facts about shells and instructions for making
a theme-related bookmark. From the author/illustrator of
Seeds!
Seeds! Seeds!
(2004) and
Leaves!Leaves!
Leaves!
(2003), here’s
another playful yet informative introduction to nature. - Carolyn
Phelan"
