Grandma's beach

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Until, that is, Emily's mum gets a phone call and has to go to the office unexpectedly ... and Emily has to visit her grandmother instead. Emily is not happy. But Grandma is not put off by her sulky grand-daughter and decides to cheer her up by creating a very special beach in her back garden.
With bright bold illustrations, this is a warm and loving picture book celebrating the power of play and imagination.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

PreS-K-Beardshaw's companion titles depict fond relationships between grandchildren and their grandparents. In the first book, Emily's outing to the seaside is spoiled when an emergency summons her mother to work and deposits the child at her grandmother's house for the day. Her initial disappointment melts away when Grandma gamely converts her backyard into an oceanfront resort just for the two of them. In the second title, Stanley's friend Jack refuses to give him a turn on his new tricycle, so Grandpa helps Stanley build a sporty, custom boxcar with plenty of room for all three. Both stories feature light, concise narratives (one or two short sentences per page) and illustrate constructive approaches to conflict resolution. The accompanying artwork is bright, glossy, and scaled to draw the attention of tiny eyes. Solid titles for one-on-one or group sharing.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Reviewed with Rosalind Beardshaw's Grandpa's Surprise0 . PreS. These oversize companion books capture the special relationships that exist between a grandparent and child. In Grandma's Beach0 , Emily's mom can't take her on a planned trip to the beach; instead, Emily will stay with Grandma. Emily is dejected, but Grandma uses her ingenuity to bring the beach to the backyard, complete with water from the sprinkler and enough dirt to build a sand castle. In the other volume, Jack won't let Stanley ride his new bicycle, but Grandpa uses a wooden cart and the wheels from a stroller to make a vehicle that's just as good. Simple, warm texts are part of the attraction here, but mostly it's Beardshaw's art, which fills up each page, that will capture the audience. Using thick strokes and a melange of summer fruit-colored paints, Beardshaw zooms in on her characters, using lots of close-ups to make them more endearing, and children will easily follow evolving facial expressions to see how situations can change from bad to better. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2004 Booklist

Horn Book Review

In Grandma, Emily's mom suddenly has to go to work and can't take Emily to the beach, so Grandma creates one. In Grandpa, a boy won't share his tricycle with Stanley, so Grandpa builds his grandson a more-impressive go-cart. Cheery images capture the affection in these stories of resourceful grandparents who help their grandchildren deal with disappointment. [Review covers these titles: Grandma's Beach and Grandpa's Surprise.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Book Review

Sometimes creative and inventive grandparents can provide the best solutions for the disappointments a child may encounter. In Grandma's Beach, Grandma creates the fun of a beach atmosphere in her backyard when Emily's mom is unexpectedly called to the office at the start of their summer outing. And in Grandpa's Surprise (1-58234-934-7), Grandpa shows Stanley how to make a special go-kart from an old wooden crate and stroller wheels after young neighbor Jack refuses to share his shiny new tricycle. The very spare texts are fleshed out by full-bleed, oversized paintings in bright primary colors that nicely express both Emily's and Stanley's unspoken thoughts and feelings. A subtle and positively uplifting duo that will easily help any child through those inevitable crestfallen moments in life. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.