A Day at Seagull Beach

"A Day at Seagull Beach," by Karen Wallace, describes a day in the life of a mated pair of seagulls. Directed towards beginning readers, this book combines an easy-to-read text with full color nature photography on every page. As do the other volumes in this series, this book contains a "Picture Word List" at the end. This feature is basically a visual glossary that illustrates each vocabulary word ("pincer," "seaweed," "waves," etc.) with a photograph. This is a good feature that adds to the book's educational value.We see the seagulls tending their nest and their eggs. Much of the book follows the male gull as he searches for food; we see him encounter a crab, a starfish, and other marine life. Overall, the combination of good photography and literacy aids make "A Day at Seagull Beach" a good choice for children.

I got this book for my 3-year old niece about a week before her first plane ride and vacation to the beach. By our arrival in Miami Beach she could already point to the many seagulls and tell me that they were looking for food. The simple story and illustrations were a wonderful introduction to many of the things she encountered at the beach including the waves, shells, seaweed, sandcastles, and crabs (but as a Maryland native she already knows all about them - steamed with plenty of Old Bay seasoning, that is). Now weeks later, rereading the story brings back memories of her trip and lots of enjoyment. Highly educational and fun.