To answer his question about the seashore, a little boy's mother invites him to pretend to "pick up a stone washed smooth by the sea" and notice tiny oyster shells "crusty gray outside and smooth, pearly pink inside." By suggesting sensory ways to experience a specific place, Zolotow's affectionate text bids children to employ imagination to recapture experience and/or companionship. Minor's full-page illustrations for this lovely 11 3 x 9 3" book for all seasons were painted with gouache and watercolors on cold-press watercolor board. (Ages 3-8)

"A young boy, who has never seen the sea, asks his mother to describe it. From there, Zolotow carefully chooses her words to create a poem full of the colors, sounds, and sights of a day at the beach. Minor's softly detailed renderings reinforce the gentle mood." 'SLJ. "[Zolotow's] words have a special lilt that lingers long after the book is closed." 'NYT.

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