Sand-Play Time on the Sun-Baked Beach product reviews

This book was a winner for Miss Three as she adores going to the beach; she is also taking great pride in learning to count, so the combination of seaside play and numbers is perfect. So much learning goes on in the preschool years that any reinforcement is welcome. I was pleased that the numbers are presented not just as a sequence, but also as basic addition and subtraction in a context that a preschooler can understand. The numbering goes up to 15 rather than stopping at 10, as many books for beginners are apt to do.

The emphasis from the very first page on being properly equipped - sunhat and sunblock - is another plus for parents encouraging their children to be sun safe. Being sensibly dressed for the beach in our summer climate is a safety issue, especially for children with fair skin, as the sun's rays are intensified when combined with the reflection of sand and the sea surface. The benefits of being protected are immeasurable.

The simple, repetitive rhyme scheme made it easy for Miss Three to follow. Stories set out like this make it almost mandatory for the child to learn the whole thing by heart so she can "read" along, starting with joining in with the rhyming words on each line. It is also useful that the numbers are presented as figures rather that written words so that they can be picked out by the child. Because they are in bold, they can be more easily identified.

The book length is ideal for reading to a child of this age. Miss Three was engaged throughout, and it was clear that she was relating to the children in the story. Building sandcastles, collecting shells, and decorating with driftwood and seaweed are all things that are part of the fun of going to the beach - and, of course, that plunge into the water when the sun is too hot is a given.

The illustrations are evocative of all that is beach-related. Although the children are the focus of most of the pictures, there are various background images: seagulls, a crab, and the ever-shifting waves. Blue and green dominate the graphics, evoking a maritime world that presides over the yellow sand. There is an underlying message about respecting the sea as it can so easily overwhelm anything in its path. It was good to see the adult (father or big brother) going into the waves with the children rather than letting them risk the power of the sea on their own.