If You Spot a Shell

by Aimée Sicuro

A stunning companion to If You Find a Leaf, this cheery picture book captures the excitement of summer and encourages children to see their collected seashells in an entirely new way. The artist uses real shells to make her exquisite illustrations.

A warm summer breeze and the gentle waves of the ocean wash ashore many different types of shells. In this story a girl collects shells and thinks of all the magnificent things they can be turned into with a little creativity. She imagines one shell as a swimming cap for diving into the crashing waves, another as a magical kaleidoscope, one as a rocket ship to take her way up high and another as a submarine for exploring the wonders of the world below. The girl draws inspiration from the beauty and uniqueness of each and every shell.

In this joyous celebration of a day at the beach, artist Aimee Sicuro uses real shells she’s hand selected to make her oh-so-charming illustrations. Any young reader who turns the pages of this beautiful book will be inspired to use their own imagination as they comb the beach for shells this summer.

Genres: Picture Books, Summer, Nature, Childrens, Storytime, Art, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2024

About the author

Aimee Sicuro knew at an early age she wanted to make things, and spent many years trying to figure out how. She is the illustrator of many books including Dancing Through Fields of Color, by Elizabeth Brown and The Stuff Between the Stars both Junior Library Guild selections. If You Find a Leaf, her authorial debut was nominated for the 2022 Ezra Jacks Keats Award. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, NYT Parenting, People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for my toddler as a story time. She loved it and wanted to go to the beach and suggested that we bring this book with us. This book has pictures of different shells and its name on the inside of the front and back cover of the book. We were both surprised that scallops came in different color shells. Love the many ways a shell can represent in a child's imagination such as starfish being the stand holding up the Ferris Wheel, the shells being bicycle wheels, the shell being beach umbrellas, the shell being rocket ships and submarines. There are many examples including sand art project at the end of the book. We loved the illustrations!

Thank you Random House Kids for the opportunity to read and review!

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful mixed media book about the power of imagination and using nature in your art.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book that uses different mediums (including actual shells) to teach kids multiple uses of an object. Or to get them to expand their horizons and see what something COULD be used for

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following up on the success of the earlier, If You Find a Leaf, this lovely picture book [3.5 for me!] is a treat for the eyes and the imagination. What child who has visited the beach could refrain from exclaiming in delight and then gathering up a shell as seen in the opening pages? As readers move through the pages, they realize that shells can serve many other functions in addition for collecting and admiring. The cleverly placed shells on subsequent pages show them to be useful as shade, a kaleidoscope, a raft, or even an elaborate ballerina's tutu. Shell collectors are only limited by their imagination as shown by the many examples on these pages in the creative artwork, rendered with ink, watercolor, charcoal, photography, and collage. The endpapers even feature 32 different shells, each labeled and arrayed in rows, and the back matter offers activities to extend readers' appreciation of the book and of its subject matter. Books such as this one are great reminders to look more closely at the world around us and to think outside of the box. While a shell can certainly be appreciated simply as a shell, it can also open all sorts of possibilities.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You Spot a Shell by Aimee Sicuro is an imaginative exploration of possibilities hidden in plain sight, inviting readers to see a simple shell not just as an object, but as a world of possibility, like a swimming cap, a tutu, a shelter, or even a raft waiting to set sail. The book’s illustrations is one of its standout features. Real photographic images of shells are seamlessly woven into illustrations that draws readers in. This blend of reality and fantasy mirrors the book’s central message: that imagination can transform the ordinary into something magical.

Perfect for young readers, this story celebrates curiosity, creativity, and the joy of open-ended play. It’s an ideal read-aloud for a beach day, a nature walk, or any moment when a child picks up a small treasure and wonders what it could become. Whether read at home or in a classroom, this book is sure to inspire a closer look at the natural world.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

👧🏻 reviews: Summertime is coming soon and this illustration book is a perfect companion for little ones to read and be ready for summer. It is a creative way for children to imagine what summer will bring. I love it because this reminded me of the time when I was younger and we used to plan our trips to the Carolina beaches. The anxiousness and excitement to get to the beaches was something I used to look forward to. This book is packed with pretty graphics and beautiful seashells shared in the book. A wonderful book for little ones!

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aimee Ticuro who wrote the nature book If You Find a Leaf, is back with a book focused on seashells. The end pages have pictures of 32 labeled shells. Using minimal text, the reader is shown how a young girl finds many imaginary uses for the different shells she finds on the beach. Sicuro's illustrations cleverly use "real" shells in the imagined scenes. The book ends with a step-by-step directions for an art sand project and how to do shell rubbings.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children visit an ocean beach and discover different kinds of shells that can be used for so many things practical and using the imagination.

Children will enjoy spotting the shells and explaining how they are being used. The author made an obvious attempt at a rhyming scheme, but is inconsistent best and clumsy. Two shell art project ideas are included in back matter. End papers offer the only guide to shell identification.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love If You Spot a Shell by Aimée Sicuro! It's delightful and whymsy-ful! And is sure to set the imaginations of young ones flying. At the back of the book, Aimée includes an explanation for sand art projects and shell rubbings. It's truly the perfect book to take to the beach in summer, spring and fall. It's even a great stay-inside book for winter. It will bring summer and blue skies straight into your heart.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite the showstopper that If You Find a Leaf: An Inspiring Nature Book for Kids and Toddlers was but nice to see the series continue.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

Whenever you visit the beach, the easiest proof of wildlife is the shells. Kids love examining and collecting them and this book is here to further their imagination. I love the use of real shells in the illustrations as well as the great ways they could be used. A great summer book to get kids excited about the beach.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher, I'm a big fan of books with an activity or craft that can be paired with the book. This book does both! I was a big fan of If You Find a Leaf and have been looking forward to this summer-themed follow-up. The illustrations are beautiful and incorporate real shells in such an imaginative, creative way! It does not disappoint!

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think these books are beautiful, but just like "If You Find a Leaf" I wish there were more of a narrative and the reader is treated to spotting the different ways the seashells are used, instead of the shells being the main focus and no story. Reading "list" type books in storytime falls flat unfortunately and I would so love to share these.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book that ingeniously incorporates real seashells into its illustrations. I probably wouldn't have rated this as highly before I started working at the library, but this book is just begging to have a beachy themed library program built around it. It even has some seashell process art activities that kids can do after they finish reading.

[Hilda Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully Illustrated book!

This is a wonderful beach story book. The book features many types of seashells that can be found at the beach. It also encourages children to use their imagination during their next trip to the beach. I also liked that the author added a couple of activities kids can do when they visit the beach.


Themes: Beach/Shells/imagination

[Amy Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Whimsical Seaside Story- If You Spot a Shell is a captivating picture book that brings the magic of seaside exploration to life with vibrant illustrations and rhythmic, engaging text. Its simple yet enchanting story makes it ideal for young readers. This book is a must-have for any young nature/beach enthusiast and a perfect addition to any child's library.

[Kimberley Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

My beach-loving daughter is an avid shell collector. She was gifted Aimeé’s stunning book “If You Spot A Shell” and it arrived just in time for summer. As a parent, I love the imaginative expression and beautiful illustrations combined with the use real shells! My daughter has been making her own shell etchings. Another wonderful work of art in our book collection. I hope there’s more to come!

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ink, watercolor, charcoal, photography, and collage were all used to create the illustrations. There are pictures of real sea shells identified by name on the inside covers. And there are real shells scattered throughout the book to demonstrate the item being imagined. Scallop shells become beach umbrellas. Sea urchins become tutus. My favorite is the blue starfish Ferris wheel.

At the end there are instructions for Sand Art Projects and Shell Rubbings. A great book to take to the beach.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If you spot a shell, you could imagine most anything."

An imaginative perspective on shells a young girls finds on the seashore.

Themes: the sea/nature, creativity/imagination
Ages: toddler-1st grade
Pub year: 2024

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Companion to If You Spot a Leaf but with shells on a perfect day at the beach. This is a super effective concept book with lots of shell identified on the end pages. It is also a fun summery, beachy read. Delightful.

[Kelly]

Interesting book and usage of shells for the illustrations. Not super realistic (some of those shells can't really be as big as your head, ok, and obviously can't be a submarine), but I was able to get over the submarine and rocket ship more easily than the swim caps for some reason. Inventive.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations. However, my one thing with it was I was expecting more of a narrative story and instead I got all these imaginative things a shell could be, but some weren’t super realistic. They were cute, but I guess it just didn’t work super well for me.

Mia’s Year of Books: Day 153

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture perfect read aloud for toddler or preschool ST about beach/shells. It was a bouncy read that flowed well and the images had lots of things to point out and ask questions about. Enjoyed the art idea in the back too. Creative use of the shells in the images and helps spark kids imagination.

[Ameade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful companion to If You Find a Leaf. Teachers from Pre-K to 1st grade will love using this book both to explore shapes in nature and to create their own shell-inspired artwork.

[Cammy]

Story is non-existant and the prose is pretty boring but the art is so cool -- she used watercolor and collage and it's just so cool to look at.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, and I hope there are more in the series!!

[Viviana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Art 4-5 stars

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great choice for storytime

[Martha Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved If you Find a Leaf and this one, too, celebrates kids' imaginations, but I felt it was less successful for me. A good book to encourage nature play and nature art.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginative look at what you can do if you spot a shell. Includes a couple of fun activities at the end...a sand art project and shell rubbings. The illustrations are so fun!