A Beach Tail

When Gregory's father tells him not to leave "Sandy" - the lion he has drawn in the sand - and not to go in the water, the young boy has no intention of doing anything else. Stick in hand, he sets out to give Sandy a tail. Stretching down the beach - past a gooey purple jellyfish, the washed-out remains of a sand castle, and a little crab scurrying in the warm sand - it turns out to be a very long tail indeed, and although Greg doesn't go in the water, or leave Sandy, he discovers that he has left Dad behind...

A gentle tale (or should that be "tail?") of a day at the beach, this lovely picture-book explores the wonder and excitement of a sunny summer day, and the loving bond between father and son. Floyd Cooper - who won a Coretta Scott show more King Illustrators Award for his work on Joyce Carol Thomas's The Blacker the Berry: Poems - captures all the joy of Williams' simple narrative with his pastel illustrations. The cover illustration is probably my favorite, but the final spread, in which Dad and Gregory join hands to take a dip, is beautiful as well. All in all, a charming picture-book, perfect for a summertime read with young children! show less

Gregory and his father are at the beach, and Dad says "Don't go in the water, and don't leave Sandy." Sandy is the lion Gregory has drawn in the sand. Sandy's tail gets longer and longer as Gregory explores the beach and encounters interesting and intriguing items in the sand. Loved this "tail" of an innovative and curious child. I do think that there might be some context missing for kids - why wouldn't you go into the water at the beach? Adult readers may need to provide some explanation about safety, since it's not explicit in the text. Nevertheless, an enchanting story with gorgeous realistic illustrations from the inimitable Floyd Cooper.

I love the child's perspective throughout the choices in this book. Gregory names his drawing in a way that makes perfect sense from his point of view. And he only imagines that he's far enough from his father to be on an adventure, mostly because he's little. And the emphasis in the illustrations on the sand is indeed what this small child would see as he keeps his stick drawing in the sand; no need for the bright waves and towels of other beach themed books.

I know that I give four stars to a lot picture-books, so I'll have to make it clear to you that this is, imo, one of the best 4* books that I've read in a long time.

Gregory is on the beach. He draws a lion and dad says not to go in the water or leave Sandy Lion. Gregory doesn't...although Sandy's tail gets longer and longer until Gregory realizes he's lost. No need to worry though, he just follows Sandy's tail back to dad and safety. This simple, lovely story is perfectly pitched for toddlers and preschoolers who will completely understand Gregory's experience of getting absorbed and suddenly missing mom or dad. I loved seeing an African-American child portrayed in a non-urban setting, especially with a father. I didn't personally care for the illustrations - I like to see more colors - but I do think the shades of brown are perfect for the sandy story and the beach. This one will be a favorite for show more many families and children in story time. Recommended. show less

This was not one of my favorite books by Karen Williams for one main reason. Most of her books talk about challenges that children in developing countries face, with underlying plots about just being a kid. While A Beach Tail was a nice story, it didn't have nearly as much of an impact as her other stories had on me. However, I think getting lost and being scared is something that is relatable to most young children. Still a good read for read-aloud or a bedtime story. The main idea of this story is that being playful and clever can sometimes help you in the long run. Another message that I got from this book is to make choices that keep you safe, an example being how Gregory gets lost on the beach and loses sight of his dad. This was a show more very nice and wholesome book. show less

Floyd Cooper truly outdid himslef on this book. This was a wonderfully illustrated beach tale about a boy exploring the beach by manipulating what his father told him so that he technically was following his guidelines without following their intent. Well done.

Personal Response:

This is a simplistic story of a father and son at the beach. I love the beach so I was drawn to this story for that reason. It reminded me a bit of Hansel and Gretal and the trail of breadcrumbs they left to find their way home.

Curricular Connections:

This is a good read aloud for young children.