The Burgess Seashore Book for Children

I ordered two of Thornton Burgess' fascinating children's nature adventures for a granddaughter and a great granddaughter, both aged eight. Why? Because we well remember that in 1957, en route to Florida, our then six year old daughter, an advanced, voracious reader, had her nose in them the entire trip and thereafter. She so adored them that she reread the seashore one several times and has since ordered it for her granddaughter. In particular, the books inspired our daughter to want to be a naturalist, or archeologist. Well, she's neither of those; she is an attorney who has always loved reading, the seashore, and hiking, largely. The Burgess nature stories are so full of enticing information, that children should not feel they so much are being taught, but are introduced to new, animal friends.

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children and indeed all his books are as timeless and informative today as they were sixty years ago when I first read them. It is an entertaining and joyful introduction to nature.

When I visited the Burgess museum in Cape Cod this year, this book became one of my souvenirs. I had remembered reading it as a child, and the story and information inside held my attention as an adult. It is a charming story involving some of Burgess' favorite animal characters who travel to the seashore and learn about the creatures there. Burgess conveys a huge amount of facts about the seashore in a gentle and entertaining way. Kids will love it.