Book Review: To The Sea by Callie Grant

I always feel so blessed to have the opportunity to review books.  I feel especially blessed to review board books which are filled with truths about God's nature and the world around us.  There is something profoundly special about those first books we read to our youngest babies and toddlers.  Why not choose deeply meaningful, God-honouring literature, even in the earliest years?

I love all the titles that I've read from Graham Blanchard.  This is a Christian publisher of books for young children that are created to inspire and deepen a child's relationship with God.

From the site:

"Bringing a new soul into the world is a profoundly spiritual passage of life for new parents. We welcome you to a loving community of moms and dads, mentors, educators and pastors who have developed helpful resources to support your growing family’s spiritual life."

I adore the way this publisher categorizes their books into three groups - Learn, Absorb, Praise.  To The Sea is a 'praise' book about a young boy's trip to the beach and the fun he has in God's beautiful world. 

To The Sea  is written by Callie Grant with lovely, soft illustrations by Jeremy Tugeau.  The quality of the book is very high - sturdy board with glossy, smooth to the touch pages.

What a precious, beautifully illustrated board book filled with words of adoration to our wonderful Heavenly Father!  

The book is written in a rhythmic rhyming structure, with beautiful lines and captivating imagery.  The repetition of certain phrases really appeals to babies and toddlers as well.   

Immediately, my children saw a very powerful parallel in the lines of the book.  The young boy's sand castle is knocked over by the crashing water, but he then chooses to rebuild it on a solid rock he finds.  On that rock, his castle is safe.  What a beautiful image of Christ Jesus, our Eternal Rock.  He is our safe haven!  The storms of life and the crazy crashing waves and knock us down when our lives are built upon Him.  

 The last page in the book reads: The waves roll on.  Beach time is done.  God gave a good day in the sun.  The scripture reference is Genesis 1:31, And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 

Yes, God gives every good thing and yes, a day at the beach is a gift from Him... truth for little hearts to inspire thanksgiving and praise!

Also, Graham Blanchard offers a 'Free Tips for Parents' section for this book on their website.  

As you join a young boy on his joyful day discovering the wonders of the seashore, the rhythmic verse and the brilliant blues of the illustrations convey the sights, sounds, and sensations evoked by the sea. This Praise books reveals the glory and power of the immense sea, one of God’s greatest creations on Earth. Whether you and your children live near or far from the ocean, you can encourage an appreciation of the natural world around you and learn ways to keenly experience your environment.

Building on the Book:

• God blesses us with our amazing senses, with which we can experience the diversity and abundance of His creation. The boy in this book uses all his senses to experience the seashore. Go for a walk where you live and talk about what you can see, hear, smell, and feel. You can help children develop a sense of gratitude and wonder for the world all around us.

• If your child lives near or has visited the sea, you can review each page and talk about what is familiar and what is diferent from your own trips there. Does it look warm or cold where the boy is playing? How do the colors of the sky, water, and sand compare to your experiences? Children build upon their prior knowledge, so capitalize on what is already known to them and use it as the foundation for additional learning. 

• Even very young children can derive meaning from factual information. Show them maps and images that depict the land and the sea. If you have a globe, you can help them identify areas of the earth’s surface that are covered by water. Children will enjoy using “grown-up” resources and begin to understand that there are countless sources of information that can support life-long learning.

This offers insight and ideas for engaging further with the book.  Ideas include things like, encouraging our children to engage their senses in worshiping God for His creation, visiting the sea (or waterfront) and comparing the various aspects of the boy's day to your child's experiences, talking to children about the idea of water and how oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. cover much of the earth.  I love these ideas!

Many of the books on the site include engaging ideas like these in the Tips for Parents sections.  What a great tool for applying these books to our children's lives!

For more titles and more information, be sure to visit Graham Blanchard online.  These books are so rich and full of truth and beauty!