Book Review: Sally Goes to the Beach (dog, children's book)

Sally Goes to the Beach, by Stephen Huneck (Abrams, 2000, 38 pages, $18.95, ages 4-8,) (a New York Times bestseller)

Sally Goes to the Beach is bound to start you and your child off on a wonderful reading adventure. The first book in the series, Sally Goes to the Beach will bring a smile to your face each time you think of it. No humans appear, not even children – only parts of humans, like hands for petting dogs and arms for driving them around. Because, after all, these are dog books (for all children who understand dogs).

Sally is America’s favorite black Lab who lives in Vermont with author, illustrator and woodcarver Stephen Huneck at Dog Mountain. She is excited to be going to the beach because, at the beach, “The air smells great. Just like cat food.”

With a boat called The Friendship (a play on words for parents who also never tire of The Sally Books), children understand having so much fun that Sally is sorry to see the sun finally setting – until she hears the can opener.

After dinner the dogs “do” the dishes – you can just picture that!

The Illustrations

For each of the Sally books, Huneck first drew the illustrations in crayon; then, for each color, he carved a different block of wood. After each block was inked with its one color, the blocks were stamped onto paper and allowed to dry. Painstakingly finished and filled with love, these illustrations are a national treasure.

Lessons

Sally shares her adventures of meeting new friends and doing new things so children will find it easier to meet new friends and do new things. Sally will be a comforting teacher for your child.

I love Sally. You and your child will, too.

Next: Sally Goes to the Mountains

The Sally Books:

Sally Goes to the Beach, Sally Goes to the Mountains, Sally Goes to the Farm, Sally Goes to the Vet , Sally’s Snow Adventure, Sally Gets a Job and Sally Goes to Heaven

Sally’s Great Balloon Adventure

Sally at the Farm, Sally in the Sand

My Dog’s Brain, The Dog Chapel, and Even Bad Dogs Go to Heaven