Seaside Dream

By Janet Costa Bates, Lambert Davis
Paperback: $11.95

In this tender story of immigration, a young girl finds a way to give her grandmother the perfect present and the courage to plan a trip to her home country, Cape Verde.

Description

Tomorrow is Grandma’s birthday, and the house is overflowing with family and friends. Hugs, laughter, and the smells of delicious food fill the air as everyone gets ready for a beach party. Cora is excited, but she is also worried because she still does not have a present for Grandma. Cora cannot think of anything special enough.

Cora knows her grandmother misses her home country, Cape Verde. After a nighttime walk on the beach with Grandma, Cora finally comes up with an idea for the perfect gift. It is one that both of them will always remember-and a way to help Grandma reconnect with faraway family.

Winner of Lee & Low’s New Voices Award Honor, Seaside Dream celebrates a treasured relationship between child and grandparent. Set in a lush, coastal neighborhood, this contemporary story lovingly affirms family bonds that transcend age and distance and warmly captures the joy of giving from the heart.

About the Creators

Janet Costa Bates

Janet Costa Bates has been recognized by Highlights for Children as an Author of the Month. Her prize-winning fiction has been published in Highlights and in Pockets magazine. Seaside Dream was inspired by Bates’s grandmother, who came to the United States from Cape Verde. Like Cora and Grandma in the story, Bates loves to spend time at the beach. This is her first book. She lives with her family in Massachusetts and can be found on the Web at janetcostabates.com.

Lambert Davis

Lambert Davis has illustrated numerous books for children, including the best-selling The Jolly Mon and Whales Passing, a Parents’ Choice Recommended title. Born in Hawaii and having spent many years living near the ocean in California, Davis often creates artwork that reflects the beauty of the sea. When not painting, he enjoys surfing, sailing, and traveling. Davis now lives with his wife and their two sons on the southeastern coast of Australia. His Web site is lambertdavis.com.

Awards

  • New Voices Award Honor

    Lee & Low Books

Reviews

  • "A moving portrayal of a grandparent-grandchild relationship as well as a distinctive take on universal aspects of immigration."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "First-time author Bates debuts with a story, inspired by her own family history, about relationships that stretch across many years and great distances. . . . The close-knit nature of Cora's family shines through in Bates's prose, which is peppered with references to Cape Verdean cuisine and traditions. . . . the beach setting is vibrant and lush, and the strength of Cora and her grandmother's relationship emanates from nearly every page."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Davis's realistic acrylic paintings are filled with warmth and the colors of the sea. The marvelous illustrations have vigor and the tidbits of Cape Verdean culture make this picture book valuable for multicultural representation."

    - School Library Journal

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620142561
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size 10 × 8.5 in
  • Weight 0.375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781600603471
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 1410
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Family / Multigenerational
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Social Themes / Emigration & Immigration
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / People & Places / Africa
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Dreams & Aspirations, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fiction, Friendship, Grandparents, Gratitude, Holidays / Traditions, Home, Imagination, Immigration, Kindness / Caring, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Pride, Realistic Fiction, Sharing & Giving
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 10
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 5
  • Guided Reading P
  • ATOS Book Level 3.6
  • DRA 38
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 5
  • Lexile Code AD
  • Lexile Level 570
  • Reading Level 3
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    • 195
      Fluent Dual Language
      Collection of 195 books: $2,435.25