Ebb and Flo and the Greedy Gulls

Ebb and Flo

by Jane Simmons

It isn't fair! Ebb and Flo and their friend Bird are having a peaceful day at the beach until Flo's sandwiches disappear. Flo blames Ebb -- but she didn't do it! Ebb doesn't think it's fair to be blamed for something she didn't do so she goes off by herself to sulk. But just when Flo discovers who the real sandwich-nappers are, a terrible storm begins -- and Ebb is missing! Flo is worried and desperately wants to find her friend. Will Ebb and Flo -- and their friendship -- weather this storm?

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.


Jane has tried her hand at landscape gardening, futon making, teaching basket weaving and soft toy making but only truly loves writing and illustrating children's books. Jane shot to fame with the success of her DAISY picture books, all about an irresistible little duck with big feet. More success followed with EBB AND FLO, whose characters were brought to life on television. Jane, her partner, and her menagerie of rescued pets travel the Mediterranean on an ex-fishing boat - and her adventures have provided the inspiration for many of her books. Most recently Jane has turned her hand to fiction, with the exciting adventures of BERYL GOES WILD and SHIP'S CAT DORIS.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good read aloud class story for FS and KS1, it is quite short so would be perfect to read before or after lunch or at the end of the day. There are colourful painted illustrations which could be used to inspire some art work, and children could study habitats, such as the seagulls on the beach in science.

[Cat Strawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebb, Flo, Mum and Bird are having a picnic on the sand while the seagulls nearby laugh. While Flo, Mum and Bird are busy, Ebb decides to take a nap near the food, on the warm sand. But while Ebb was napping the seagulls came closer and when Ebb wakes up she begins to woof when she sees the gulls stealing all the food. Soon all of the food is gone and when Flo and Mum see what’s happened, they think Ebb has eaten everything. ‘Ebb and Flo and the Greedy Gulls’ as a little wider than A4 in size and is filled with thick matt pages of some lovely illustrations and text.

The story is a simple one but I like it with the family taking the time to have a picnic on the beach. I love how the seagulls are depicted as laughing as this is exactly how I always think of them when I see them on trips to the seaside. Unfortunately, much like the real seagulls, these gulls soon eat all the food leaving Ebb to be blamed when Mum and Flo return. Poor Ebb sulks and decides to go to her favourite spot in the small boat and lie there. But soon a storm starts and the boat starts getting further and further away from the shore. Soon Ebb is so far out that the others can’t hear her woofing. The story has a good ending with the truth about who ate the food being revealed to Mum and Flo, and Ebb being happily forgiven. I love how this story reflects the true nature of seagulls, they are so greedy, I’ve had one follow me down the beach once, watching my food as I went and I felt for Ebb when reading this as I know how greedy those gulls can be.

The illustrations are so lovely, I really love the style that Jane Simmons uses. It’s so simple and yet depicts the mood and expressions of Ebb and the others so well! I really love the way Ebb looks in this, especially when she’s happily napping on the sand and at the end when she’s forgiven. The gulls also look interesting, and I like the way they always look like they are laughing or smiling. The illustrations really make this story so appealing and it wouldn’t be so good if it wasn’t for them.

Overall this is a simple but good story of Ebb and Flo and the others and their experience of those greedy gulls. It’s not my favourite Ebb and Flo story, I still think there are a couple of others I prefer, but it’s a lovely story to add to the collection! 🙂
-Thanks to Graffeg for a free copy

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebb and Flo and the Greedy Gulls is the latest release in the Ebb and Flo series about a young girl and her dog.

The books were originally released years ago and have been rereleased with new, brighter illustrations.

I love the Ebb and Flo series of books from Jane Simmons, who also wrote the Daisy (duck) books. The love between Ebb and Flo is strong and they always find themselves in quite often unusual situations. Most often amusing situations too.

The book is filled with beautiful full-page illustrations that are wonderful to look at and bring the story to life.

The books don't need to be read in any particular order, so grab a copy and enjoy this old fashioned, sweet tale with your child or class today.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this story was good, but the way it was expressed in the text was a little confusing and disjointed. The characters weren't introduced at the beginning of the book, so I was confused as to which names belonged to each character, and the story bounced back and forth in a way that made it hard to follow along with. The idea of the pictures was also good, but the actual art style was very foggy and lacked clarity.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute illustrations.

[Jake]

a very simple (but sweet!) story, and GORGEOUS illustrations.