Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea: A Picture Book About Brothers, a Dog, and Postcards from a Road Trip Across America for Kids (Ages 4-8)

by Vera B. Williams, Jennifer Williams

Dear Reader,
Here are the postcards and snapshots that Stringbean Coe and his brother Fred sent home from the long trip they made one summer in Fred's truck.

Their grandfather made this album for the family--and for you. Enjoy yourselves!

Love,
Vera and Jennifer

Stringbean Coe, his big brother, Fred, and their dog, Potato, are driving from Kansas to California in a pickup truck with a little house built on the back. Reading the postcards they send home every day is the next best thing to having a cross-country adventure all your own. "A good-hearted celebration of life and experience, and a gift to the public."--School Library Journal

Genres: Picture Books, Geography, Childrens, Fiction, Travel, Road Trip, School

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Graduate of Black Mountain College, North Carolina, where she majored in graphic art. In her own words, she has "done graphic art, school teaching, children-raising [she has two daughters and a son], has run a bakery and been a cook in schools and restaurants." (from back flap of book)

Vera B. Williams is the winner of the 2009 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature.

You can read much more about this author here or here

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pair of brothers are taking a road trip in an old pick-up truck with a camper on back from Kansas to the Pacific Ocean and send home daily postcards describing their progress.

This had potential, but dithered it all away as the brothers have non-adventures and visit vague, fictional locales.

I don't understand why the author chose to fudge the postmarks, leaving off date and location information so we could track the brother's journey. With so many interesting bits of Americana to be found along our highways, I'm flabbergasted that she would choose to make generic and bland doppelgangers, not even specifying what state the brothers are passing through at any given time or which roads they are taking. This choice of going strictly fictional explains the lack of a map, I suppose.

I'm also a little put off that one of the brothers seems to have an eating disorder that simply disappears during the course of the drive -- because he just needed a little change of scenery?

And the whole sub-plot with the clown's shoe just opens up a whole can of forced coincidences that I'd rather forget.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely, heartwarming story and innovative format.

[lee! · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stringbean Coe and his brother Fred take a trip in Fred's truck across the country and send postcards back to Ma, Pa, and Grandpa. The story is fun and reads like looking through a pile of reproduction postcards with the message and address handwritten and scrawled on the back. There are illustrated photos of many things with captions mixed in and animals and wildlife illustrated in with facts.

This might be a fun book to share with students to teach them a little about US geography. While most places mentioned are too vague to understand the exact location or to map Stringbean's and Fred's travels, the general direction of the journey is clear. Students could imagine their own journey and make their own postcards to pair with a unit about US geography.

[Ellen L. Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stringbean and his older brother Fred chronicle their trip across the country in a series of postcards to their mother, father, and grandfather who have stayed in Jeloway, Kansas. They make this trip in Fred’s truck with a house built on the back of the truck. The art on the postcards is wonderfully imaginative. The postcards, written primarily by Stringbean, with short additions by Fred, describe the marvelous things about the trip--staying at the same campgrounds as a circus, seeing buffalo and bears, seeing mountains and deserts, canyons and waterfalls, picking strawberries to earn extra money, and triumphantly arriving at the Pacific Ocean. It’s a marvelous book!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stringbean and his much-older brother Fred take a memorable trip from Kansas to the Pacific Ocean. We learn of all their adventures from a series of postcards mailed to the folks back home. I like that the brothers don't always get along - Fred is "bossy," and Stringbean "never shuts up." Traveling and spending 24 hours together can create tensions, and I'm glad the authors didn't gloss over the difficult times. In the end, they have an unforgettable vacation - an experience they'll both remember for the rest of their lives.

[Bridget Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stringbean Coe and his brother Fred send post cards home chronicling their journey to the sea. I loved how short but detailed very post card was. You could really experience there journey through the past card. It's a great picture book. Highly recommend reading Stringbeans Trip to the Shining Sea.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know it until I read this, but this is what I wanted Carson Crosses Canada to be and was disappointed that it wasn't. This is a road trip, so it is not plot-heavy, but things do happen and there are themes and references that provide continuity and a bit of an arc. More importantly, the pictures are wonderful. The kind you want to look at and examine all the little details. And there is so much detail to explore. Some of the illustrations are postcards from the trip. Others are drawings of photographs taken during the trip. In addition, all the text of the book is another set of illustrations written on the backs of the postcards in different ink colors by different people with fun little creative differences in the address and little postscripts and notes in the margin. Each of the stamps is even a unique mini illustration. All this could have been excessively gimmicky, but at the same time the gimmick succeeds at providing a fun reading experience, there is a simple picture book story here with characters that have different personalities and even moods as well as a believable relationship to each other. The dog doesn't play a very large role, but it's cute and looks like a dog.

[Joan]

Stringbean is going on a trip with his brother, Fred. Joined by their dog, Potato, they travel from Kansas to California in Fred’s pickup truck.

What will they see? What will they discover?

=========

Young readers read the postcards mailed by Stringbean and Fred to learn about their trip. Accompanying photographs show them as they travel along.

The target audience here is the young reader, preschool through primary grades, ages four through eight. The presentation of this story is clever and delightful, with postcards [including stamps!] and photographs keep the reader involved as they follow Stringbean and Fred on their trip.

This American Library Association Notable Book is highly recommended.

[sweet orange books · Rating 2 out of 5]

A kid, his dog, and his grandfather go on a trip from the Midwest to the Pacific oceans. The story is made of all the postcards that were sent to his mom back home. It was a unique concept but boring.

Read and reviewed: 2022-06-25

[Susan McCully · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Read for Library challenge

[Maicie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy Reader.

A boy and his older brother take a trip to the Pacific Ocean. The book is a collection of the postcards they sent back home. Clever format.

Homeschool uses:
WRITING: read before taking a trip (faraway or close to home), let kid's pick out postcards and write letters to send back home.
ART: make an album containing cards and pictures taken on trip.
HISTORY: include a fact or two learned about the place visited.
OTHER:Stamp collecting. Photography: give kids cheapo throwaway cameras. Meeting new people.

[Erin Burke Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annotation and Comment: A wonderful way to teach postcard writing and scrapbooking as genres to students, Stringbean’s Trip to the Shining Sea is an intriguing book for all age levels. The authentic look of the “postcards” is inviting. The illustrations for the postcards tie into the plot of the story, and the text serves as an illustration of sorts as well.

[Dayna BD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stayed with me all these years, since I was in elementary school. I love the letters that tell his story. I appreciate the geographical and historical references in here as well. Great way for teachers to model writing, maybe jack kids do the same based on a place they want to see. Interesting!

[G. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of my favorite books I have read. I have used this book to as a mentor text and also doing geography lessons. The illustration is unique and I enjoy people who think outside the box and this is a great example of being different and creative thinking. A must read!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is lovely. Creative concept and a fun vintage feel. A story of a cross-country journey told through charmingly illustrated postcards. Checked this out from the library but I would like to own a copy.

[Lisbeth Solberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe we don't own this: should have bought my own copy when we added it to the Leffingwell Library. Postcards from all over the U.S. tell an engaging story.

[Brooke]

This story is creatively told through Stringbean writing and sending postcards home.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember loving this one as a kid-- still a fun read :)

[Kelli]

A wonderful book that I had forgotten about. I love the across the country pictures. Great images to jumpstart conversations.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars just for the creativitiy of the concept.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/6684393

[Deb Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memorable trip preserved through postcards.