2023 Mock Caldecott

Illustration observations: Thick outlines; bold, natural colors; a variety of layouts (full-bleed double-page spreads, air frames, etc.).

Poetic language, relatable to any reader who has been to the beach or seen seashells. A lovely author/illustrator collaboration. ( )

I loved the illustrations is this book. I didn’t like the story as well. When it says someday the girl will know everything?! I don’t even understand that. What I did enjoy about the story is it reminded me of my couple of times a month trips to San Francisco’s ocean beach the year I was four years old and how I looked for shells and brought some home. I appreciated the message of taking only empty shells, and I do really like the text on the very last page of this book. A house in a house in the world.

5 stars for the illustrations. 2 stars for the story. 3-1/2 stars ( )

use with ocean/beach storytime ( )

A pitch-perfect melding of words and illustrations. An ode to the wonders of nature, homes of all sizes, and the desire to know things. I can tell it's most likely set in Florida (or the Southeast) because of the presence of White Ibis. I love the vibrancy and colors of the full page spread of the whale shark and other sea animals along with lost toys. My favorite line is the whimsical: "I'd like to know what a pelican thinks of a sandpiper and if a snowy egret has ever seen snow." Lovely seashell endpapers. ( )