Perseverance is key when three children spend a day at the beach building castles in the sand, their efforts thwarted by challenges beyond their control. The trio—an older boy, a slightly younger girl, and a smaller child (all white)—are intensely focused on their work. The first castle is crushed by a woman’s wide-brimmed, windblown hat; the second is washed out by encroaching waves; a third attempt is destroyed by a running toddler. As the incoming tide shrinks the beach, they continue to build and rebuild, each time closer to where their parents sit at the edge of a nearby dune. There are so many captivating details to pore over in this wordless story, from the three kids’ actions and reactions to the myriad activities taking place among the diverse beachgoers around them to the drama of a seagull determined to get a piece of their picnic lunch. A story that began with them tumbling off a bus beneath a bright sky and racing toward the deep blue sea ends with them on board the bus again as the sun in the gold-glazed sky touches the water, and a satisfying day of sea, sand, creativity, cooperation, and collaboration comes to a close.     (Ages 3-7)

A dazzling wordless picture book celebrates creative problem-solving, teamwork, and the sun-splashed wonder of a day at the beach.

The creators of the acclaimed Over the Shop evoke a perfect summer beach day—and themes of creativity, cooperation, flexibility, and persistence—all without a word in this sun-warmed, salt-stained delight of a story. A busload of beachgoers spills out onto the sand for a day of fun and frolic. Three siblings begin work on a castle, patting and shaping the sand as the sun arcs over the sky. Time and again, their progress is halted: a windswept hat topples their creation; a toddler ambles through it; the tide creeps close, and then too close. Meeting each demolition with fresh determination, the builders outdo themselves time and again, until the moment arrives to pile back into the bus for home. An authentic portrait of sibling cooperation—and glorious inspiration for creative people of all ages—A Day for Sandcastles channels the thrill of surrendering expectations on the path to infinite possibility.