The Seashell Song

by Claire Fletcher (Illustrator), Susie Jenkin-Pearce

Listening to a seashell, a child learns about the wonders of the sea.

Genres: Picture Books

28 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1919

Reviews

[Taylor E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the emotion conveyed through words and color choice. This is a great book for a wide age range of children. It provides a great opportunity to discuss the ocean, history, distant lands, and imagination.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is absolutely beautifully illustrated, therefore I think it could be a great stimulus for creative writing. The descriptions of the things the little girl is imagining to hear are very vague which could create a great opportunity for allowing children to construct these themselves based on the images.
I think the descriptions have been kept vague to allow the images to speak for themselves, and emphasize that the imagination of the little girl is a key element in the story which does not require extensive explanation to be effective. There is also a strong emphasis on the character and the sense of her being completely immersed within the sounds she imagines hearing from the shell. This is really powerful and is paired with visual images which clearly show how involved with the experience she is.