From School Library Journal Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—A deceptively simple, nearly wordless tale of friendship and sharing. The story begins on the endpapers, where a boy throws a beach ball and it floats out to sea. The next page has only the words "what if…?" and shows two sea lions playing with it until it rolls onto the beach. One sea lion goes ashore ("And what if…?"), where a third sea lion joins in ("Then what if...?"), leaving the first one alone and sad. Next comes a page with the word "or," and this time the second sea lion brings it back to the first, leaving the third one out. In the third "what if," the sea lion out to sea comes ashore to join the other two, and the three play together, and then head off, leaving the ball in the sand. Seeger's grasp of children's concerns and ability to visually tell a full story with minimal words is masterful here. She captures the complexity of friendship and sharing in a way that will speak to kids and invite discussion. The illustrations are saturated with color. The sea lions are depicted with minimal lines, yet still imbued with personality. The artist marries the charm of her "Dog and Bear" books with the thick color washes of First the Egg (2007, all Roaring Brook) to create something new and yet familiar. This book is perfect for parents and teachers looking for books on interpersonal relationships, or just a great book to share.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Read more From Booklist Thirty seconds is all you’ll need to read this stirring offering, but it will take exponentially longer to fully appreciate. The text “What if . . .?” introduces a brown seal and a gray seal playing in the water until their beach ball bounces onto the sand. “And what if . . .?” accompanies the gray seal meeting a purple seal on the beach. “Then what if . . .?” leads to the two new friends playing with the ball. “But then . . .” reveals the deserted brown seal, looking indescribably sad in the water. Well aware that this is far too weepy of an ending, Seeger then tells the story a second time (the purple seal is left all alone), and finally a third time (all three play together). It’s simplicity itself, but the emotions are exactingly executed by careful placement of characters upon the page and the slightest hints of emotions. It’s the work of an artist who never overplays her hand, and the brushstrokes and possibly even finger strokes evident in the colorful paint give it an even deeper sense of intimacy. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Daniel Kraus Read more See all Editorial Reviews
A**
A great summer book
I have a Preschool and the kids loved this book. It's a great for little ones that don't like to sit for long.
M**O
Nothing to it.
There are nice pictures but not much of story. Kids (2 & 4) were disappointed & we don't recommend it.
D**R
This deceptively charming book will be loved for its simplicity, yet adored for its larger message!
A young boy kicked a beach ball into the air. The sand was beneath his feet and gulls flew overhead as the waves came to shore. What happened to the ball? What would happen if two seals bounced the ball from nose to nose and then the ball rolled back to the sand? One seal grasped the colorful ball in between his flippers. "Then what if . . . ?" They sat on the seawall tossing the ball between them when another seal began to sadly eye them from the water. Many different "what ifs" could happen. Would they dive under the water, leaving the ball on the beach, would one seal go to play with the loner, or would they all play together? "What if . . . "This minimalist book of possibilities lets the reader think about what might happen to a beach ball and seals under different circumstances. The reader can easily tell the story in his or her own manner, thinking about the different possibilities or endings this book has. Essentially, a boy kicks a beach ball into the ocean, two seals find it, begin to play, and a third seal looks to them for friendship. I liked the vibrant, colorful artwork that expressed the story more than its wording. This book reminds me of the "choose your own adventure" type books loved by older children. This deceptively charming book will be loved for its simplicity, yet adored for its larger message!
E**S
Save your money.
I had to apologise to my child for forcing him to read this book. I see the point it was trying to make but all it says is, "what if...?" "And then..." "But then" and "or..." That's it. Illustrations were pretty but the story was a waste of good pictures.
B**T
Two Stars
Great colors but i feel not enough variation - why just seals why not other creatures ?
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