Month: August 2015

This is a really cute book. I couldn’t find anything wrong with this book at all. I love the time warps throughout the book. This is the first children’s book that I know of that does that. I like that it does that though. I think it adds some color to the story. I fully recommend this book to parents out there to pick up for their children.

he followed the story line, because it was simple. It’s about a surfer who has a secret surfing spot where he also meets a seal. My son got excited over some of the colorful pictures. Very cute & fun book for a child.

I have a background in early childhood education and development, and have worked with children for years now. A huge part of that work has involved trips to the library, story times, and other reading centered activities. Books are such a wonderful way to expose children to the plethora of fascinating things in this world.  In all my perusing and reading of children’s books, I have found amazing ones that kids just love, across the board (and that I have enjoyed as well), books that are so-so, and books that are downright terrible (and leave me confused as to how they were ever published, especially for kids!)  This book falls in the amazing category. The children I have read it to have all absolutely loved it. It is an enjoyable and easy read, with adorable and bright illustrations. The book appeals to many ages and it opens up a great dialogue about the ocean and our connection to nature.  I live in a beach town and the kids immediately wanted to take a trip down to the tide pools and were asking about learning to surf.
Many educational extensions can be created from this book (example: after reading talk about what each child’s favorite ocean creature is, or educate on ways to help keep the ocean clean so all of the animal residents can be happy and safe, maybe even organize a beach clean-up..also, ocean arts and crafts).  This is truly a warm, bright, and happy story that is an enjoyable read for all involved! Highly recommend 🙂

Great story for kids and beautiful illustrations. I was blown away by the colors and artistry.  Now I have something for my first grand-nephew Devin to read.

My daughter loved your book by the way, it had 3 consecutive readings on its first outing, a first for any book!

…in Downtown Santa Cruz

I sometimes get out my stand up paddle board. Yesterday I took a three hour trip up the coast north of Santa Cruz.  It’s an area of cliffs with small pocket beaches.  Above the cliffs are large areas of undeveloped land, state parks or farms so no people.  It’s just outside the Monterey Bay so wild open ocean filled with wildlife.  There are many seaweed patches on the ocean just like big rugs and I like to paddle from one to the next.  Some are very large so I will stop, sit on my board and observe.  Yesterday the fog came in so visibility was about 100 yards.  It made it a bit unnerving not being able to see the cliffs but also cast a magical hue.  I judged my distance to them by the sound of crashing waves and the incoming swell.  As I sat in one patch there was a family of sea otters floating not far away.  They wrap themselves in seaweed and use its buoyancy to help stay afloat.  They kept looking at me and I told them they were in my book.  They didn’t seem to care and proceeded with their business. The ocean water was amazingly clear as I paddled to the next patch a few hundred yards away.  The color was an unusual aqua due to a photo plankton active in the unusually warm water.  As I stared down there were thousands of silvery sardines under my board.  The flashing silver was wonderful to watch as were the dive bombing birds having a feast.  At the next seaweed patch a seal popped up to check me out.  I talked to him and told him the book was out.  He didn’t seem to care but kept popping up in various place to see what I was doing.  Today I’m resting up as I’m not 50 anymore and need to get ready to go again on Saturday with a couple of friends.  One thing I learned on this paddle, by watching the animals, is that it’s natural and normal to just exist in your environment.  That lesson has made me feel quite comfortable today as I work around my place and catch a nap with the dog.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2L2YC54YMHZQO/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm