The Sandcastle

by M.P. Robertson

After a day of watching his strongest sandcastles washed away by a sea that refuses to obey him, Jack wishes for a real castle in which he is king, and that night his wishes come true.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

About the author

Mark (M.P) Robertson was born in Parsons Green, London in 1965.

At an early age he moved to a dormitory town where he did his best to sleep through most of his education.

He narrowly managed to acquire the minimum number of 'O' levels to study graphic design at Hounslow Borough College.

After three years he left disillusioned, took a year to ponder his own navel, then returned to take a degree in illustration at Kingston polytechnic.

After leaving in 1988 he was amazed to find people willing to pay him money to do what he enjoyed. He has been capitalizing on this ever since.

His first picture book Seven Ways to Catch the Moon was published in 1999.

He currently lives in Bradford on Avon, near Bath, with his partner Sophy Williams (Also an illustrator) and two boys. He works in his garden shed where he worries about losing his hair.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis: "Jack loves to build sandcastles, but no matter how strongly he builds them, the sea always sweeps them away. Then one night, a seagull outside his window wakes him up and calls him down to the beach. There he finds the sandcastle he built the day before — only life-sized! Jack marches across the drawbridge and embarks on a magical journey filled with jesters and musicians, feasting and dancing, a beautiful girl, and a magic shell. M. P. Robertson weaves a fun tale of fantasy and excitement with beautiful illustrations that capture the wonder of a little boy’s amazing adventure."

My Review: This book was okay for us. Munchkin loved the beach, sandcastles and the beach but was immediately bored and confused when the story took a turn for imaginative. It also scared him a little when the water takes the castle away. The illustrations were lovely though and beautifully colored.

[Katie Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, Jack takes us on a wild adventure of his imagination. Jack loves building sandcastles but gets frustrated when the water washes them away. He wishes that his sandcastles was as big as a real castle and that he could be king. Later that day, he wishes came true and he enjoyed it until he realized that even a king can not stop the water from washing away his castle. He then realizes what he loves most is to be a little boy on the beach building sandcastles. He wishes his life back to the way it used to be and as soon as he knows it his wish comes true. I love the imagination in this book. It really takes the reader on an adventure.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for figurative language.