Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Two birds of a feather, a chick and her dad, lived by the shore, in a radical pad. A legend in surfing, Chickandrsquo;s dad ruled the Roost. Chickandrsquo;s dream was to learn every move he produced.andrdquo;So begins the story of a little chick and her dad who take to the beach so she can finally learn how to surf. At first Chickandrsquo;s mood is foul as she struggles through some gnarly waters, but soon she is catching waves on her own board and even doing righteous tricks, just like her rad dad!
Filled with cool surf lingo, this sweet rhyming picture book is perfect for summer at the beach and for celebrating the love between a father and a daughter.
Praise for Surfer Chick
STARRED REVIEWS
andldquo;A most expressive chicken makes a splash in this winning title about learning to surf. Dempsey keeps her groovy, rhyming text tight to create a raplike beat that colorfully describes a young chickandrsquo;s adventures tackling the waves. A guaranteed andlsquo;Cowabunga!andrsquo;andrdquo;
andmdash;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
andquot;This is a sweet, spunky story about perseverance and gaining confidence. Acrylic paint and colored pencil with a hot press watercolor make the sunsets dynamic and bright. Totally awesome!andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal, starred review
andldquo;Rollicking, righteous fun.andrdquo;
andndash;People magazine
AWARD:
HONORS winner: 2012 National Parenting Publications Book Awards
Review
Young readers will be searching for flip-flops and sunscreen upon finishing this kicky look at a summer day spent at the shore. . . . All told, this book will have the whole family hankering for a day by the water.
Review
Roosa's happy verse perfectly captures a sunny beach day full of salty splashing and play. . . .With warm, bright watercolor illustrations that are packed with inviting, authentic detail, this book is presents an ideal visit to the shore.
Review
The excitement and enthusiasm of the day are perfectly captured by the artist's bright, lively watercolors and the author's active, playful text. School Library Journal
"It is a land and waterscape that reaches right down into our primordial souls the beach, here given full inconic treatment. Using scant couplets to convey the most elemental pleasures of a day at the beach, and enticingly depicted in Smith's watercolors, this will call up memories of any reader who has spent time on the ocean's shore. From that first rush down the dunes and onto the strand"Waves roar/ Rush,and soar!/ Rolling, crashing/ To the shore" to the tramp back out"Sun-warmed skin, contented grin" it is an experience unlike any other and Roosa's got it just right. Sandcastles, swimming, softball, snoozing. Pictured details entice: kicking off one's shoes, chasing sand crabs, enjoying trays of yummy lunch. "Noon light/ Shimmers bright/ In the distance,? Hot and white." Appetite and taste take on a special edge, and then the hit of post-lunch langour: "Waves lapping/ Babies napping/ On the water/ Sails are snapping." Good stuff, simple and viscerally transporting, the waft of salt strong from the page. Over too soon." Kirkus Reviews
"It is a land and waterscape that reaches right down into our primordial souls the beach, here given full inconic treatment. Using scant couplets to convey the most elemental pleasures of a day at the beach, and enticingly depicted in Smith's watercolors, this will call up memories of any reader who has spent time on the ocean's shore. From that first rush down the dunes and onto the strand"Waves roar/ Rush,and soar!/ Rolling, crashing/ To the shore" to the tramp back out"Sun-warmed skin, contented grin" it is an experience unlike any other and Roosa's got it just right. Sandcastles, swimming, softball, snoozing. Pictured details entice: kicking off one's shoes, chasing sand crabs, enjoying trays of yummy lunch. "Noon light/ Shimmers bright/ In the distance,? Hot and white." Appetite and taste take on a special edge, and then the hit of post-lunch langour: "Waves lapping/ Babies napping/ On the water/ Sails are snapping." Good stuff, simple and viscerally transporting, the waft of salt strong from the page. Over too soon." Kirkus Reviews
Young readers will be searching for flip-flops and sunscreen upon finishing this kicky look at a summer day spent at the shore. . . . All told, this book will have the whole family hankering for a day by the water.
Publishers Weekly
The lively art in deep, vivid watercolor washed is filled wit hwell-observed details. Kids will have fun poring over and talking about the illustrations as they find new stories in the visuals.
Booklist, ALA, Boxed Review
Roosa's happy verse perfectly captures a sunny beach day full of salty splashing and play. . . .With warm, bright watercolor illustrations that are packed with inviting, authentic detail, this book is presents an ideal visit to the shore.
Horn Book Guide
Synopsis
In this charming picture book, a cheerful family tumbles out of the car and onto the beach, ready for a perfect day. Buoyant verse just right for reading aloud and bright, playful illustrations capture the singular feeling of a hazy, lazy day by the ocean, complete with a ball game with new friends, water-skiers and sailboats, and a picnic lunch of fried chicken and deviled eggs. This book is a captivating introduction to the beach for young children and an irresistible gift for beach lovers of any age.
About the Author
Karen Roosa lives with her family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in a converted barn. She wrote Beach day, her first book, one summer when she was longing to hear the sound of the ocean.Maggie Smith has illustrated several books for young children, many of which she also wrote, including Counting Our Way to Maine and Ferryboat Ride. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.