All You Need for a Beach

by Alice Schertle, Barbara Lavallee

There's nothing quite like a day at the beach! And Alice Schertle and Barbara Lavallee's clever companion to All You Need for a Snowman is the perfect recipe for fun in the sun. Plant a yellow umbrella in the sand, roll out a beach towel, and pour a glass of frosty lemonade. . . .

But wait! What's the most important part of a beach? A surprise ending will inspire young adventurers everywhere to don their shades and head for the beach.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Summer, Fiction, Poetry, Kids

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Alice Schertle has written more than 40 books, mostly for children. A mother and former elementary school teacher, Ms. Schertle is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Many of her most famous works are poetic in nature, though she writes about a wide variety of topics.

Reviews

[Monique the Book Geek]

This could be an enjoyable little book for very young children, in the 2-5 age range.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you need for a beach is one grain of sand. And...
This book sets the tone for enjoying a summer day at the beach. Sunny illustrations and repeated text make it a great read-aloud for preschool through 1st grade. Educators may contrast with more convetional "How to" books and note that there are no specific characters! Compare to the companion winter book: "All You Need For a Snowman".

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a concept book about the beach. It is probably best for toddlers.
One of my kids wondered why the story starts with just one grain of sand. This seemed to bother him though I cannot explain why.

[Rachel Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very cute. The pictures in this are also very good. This book talks about kids at the beach and how many pieces are on a beach. Then it shows them making a sandcastle and the different things that you can buy on a beach.

[Kaylynn Johnsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Schertle brings the creative process of beach building to life in this sweet, funny story that kids will love.

Barbara Lavallee's illustrations are bold and colorful. Eye catching and entertaining.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ebook read on a cold chilly morning in the Midwest. Rhyming text with illustrations done in watercolor and gouache. Going from one grain of sand to a full active beach alive with children and the ocean it was a fun way to look at the beach.

[Cecile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations are meant to look as though the children's faces are halfway in the shadow. The result is creepy.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't get it. My kiddo didn't get it either. It was fine, it was short, it did no harm, but it's not a keeper.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storytime Ideas: Beach, Summer

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction to the fun things to do on a beach, with nice large fun illustrations and an enjoyable rhyming text.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Checked out from Kilbourn Public Library 📚 in Wisconsin

[Asha Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

All you need for a beach is short repetitive book. I read this book to my first grade class. It was great to use for making predictions. At first a little girl says all you need for a beach is a grain of sand, then throughout the book, she keeps adding new things until finally she has a fun beach day with her family and friends. It is a simple book, i would not read it to a class over 1st grade because its not very exciting.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty fun book that pulls you along with just one more thing you need for a beach. The ending is sort of weird I think--throughout it's sort of describing what is at the beach and makes it beachy, and then the last thing is... YOU! I dunno--seemed like just a way to make the rhyme work out.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Drop-In Story Time on 6/11/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

Read at daycare visit on 6/26/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Emily Chapel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting something different for this book. I wasn't really happy with how this story turned out. I was expecting more detailed pictures and it describing beach activities, and it did to an extent, but overall I didn't really enjoy it.

[Halli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, like Schertle's All You Need for a Snowman, is a cute story. However, I'm not really a fan of the illustration style. When I use these books in storytime sessions, I feel like they are much more fun when told with accompanying flannel pieces, which the children get to place on the board!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for beach story time.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

went well at storytime

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good rhyming, guessing-what's-next book about one of my favorite places, the beach!

[Brittnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a pretty precious book. All about a little girl getting ready to spend a great day at the beach with her friends and family. It is very repetitive so i would put it on a first grade level.

[Josie B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pair this with "How will we get to the beach" by Brigitte Luciani for a sandy summer storytime for ages 3-5 years.

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start with one grain of sand and with each addition it becomes more and more like a beach. This book talks about all the different things that make up a beach.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cumulative tale in which a beach is built one grain of sand at a time. Rhyming text makes for a great read aloud for PreK-2.

Watercolor and gouache illustrations are superb.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the rhyming but not so much a fan of the illustrations.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used in Storytime 7/28/16

[Suki · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are beach lovers here though for different reasons. My daughter will be the first to tell you I'm boring at the beach. :-D

[Amy May · Rating 3 out of 5]

they forgot the snacks. Everyone knows when you go to the beach you have to take snacks.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

beach, summer

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute art, fun story.