Alison Jay creates an evocative story that children aged 8-11 years old are sure to enjoy. A summer holiday to the seaside becomes more memorable than ever when a giant squid is beached upon the shore. Holiday-makers, birds, dolphins and sharks all work together to return the giant squid to the water, demonstrating the interrelated connection between animals, humans, and nature on the coast. The story provides a wonderful platform for the discussion of environmental as well as social themes. How many children regularly visit the beach with their family as a source of leisure? Why do we go on holiday, anyway? When we visit the beach, what do we expect to find there? Jay’s wordless picturebook invites these questions through the aesthetically superb, highly individual, use of cracked varnish oil paint illustration. Children can be motivated to consider the role of lighthouses and coastal communities in contemporary life, and will find plenty of opportunities to chime their own experiences with that of the children in the story. The picturebook contains optional endpapers (in English) with prompts to discuss marine conservation and the protection of the environment.
