Sometimes the Beach...

"Sometimes the Beach..." is a children's picture book about different moods of the beach as seen through the eyes of a young child.

Sometimes the Beach…

 

by Scott C. Johnson

Morning Beach

         Sometimes, the beach… is quiet.  The morning sky brightens slowly from the east.    The air is cool, and smells fresh and salty.  Only the Caw!... Caw!... of flying birds and the ocean tide can be heard.  Pigeons line the sandy walkways looking for food.  Tiny seashells rest in the cool beach sand.  Soon the sun will rise, bringing light to the leafy palm trees.

Mom gives us oatmeal and apple slices for breakfast.   I put on my cap and get ready to play.

Sunny Beach

 
          Sometimes the beach is sunny!  Soft clouds glide through the bright blue sky.  The ocean sparkles in the sun.  Whoosh!  Light waves splash against the seashore, washing the sand to and fro.  Dry sand is warm and cozy; wet sand squishes between my toes!  Palm trees shade us from the sun, and sometimes a gentle breeze brushes against my face.

Summer umbrellas and large towels cover the beach in color:  red, yellow, blue, green and orange.  It’s lunchtime now.  The smell of hotdogs fills my nose with delight.  Yum!  Jingles from the ice cream truck play lightly down the road.  I get a cone with sprinkles.

It’s a beautiful day at the ocean.  Everyone is out having fun.  My fingers are sticky from spilt ice cream.  I lick them off one-by-one. 

Mom helps me put on my swimming gear and sun block so I can play in the ocean...barefoot!

Cloudy Beach

 
          Sometimes, the beach is cloudy.  The taste of salt fills the cool misty air. The bright sun hides in the thick white clouds, and sometimes it peeks out for a while.  Ocean waves crash up against the rocks.  Splash!   Dry sand is cool now, wet sand is cold!  A soft wind rustles the palm tree leaves.  Seagulls glide gracefully through the air.

My shadow is faded and hard to find.  "No swimming this time", says Mom, "We'll walk the pier today." 

Skateboarders skate along the rails.  Tight wet suits cover the legs and arms of surfers below.  Mom says she’ll buy me a boogie board one day, when I’m old enough.     

I toss breadcrumbs to the seagulls.  They swoop down and gobble them up!

Stormy Beach

 
          Sometimes the beach is stormy!  Dark grey clouds hover above the ocean, creeping slowly towards us. The Crack! Crack! Crack! of thunder rumbles in the distance.  Sea birds fly away.  Palm trees bend in the rushing wind and raindrops fall from above. Waves crash hard against the shore shooting mist everywhere.  All the sand is wet now.

A news man leans in the blowing wind and reports on the weather.  Seaweed washes up on the beach.  Sometimes lightning flashes!

Mom says the storm helps the plants to grow.  It also cleans the air so it is cool and fresh.  I look out the window and watch the rain pour.  We will have to wait until the storm ends to play at the beach again.

 

Sunset Beach

 
          Sometimes the beach is dreamy.  The dark blue sky is filled with color: orange, pink, red, yellow, and purple.  The sun sinks slowly in the west. Long shadows fall from the leafy palm trees. My shadow is taller than me! 

A few boats sail distant on the ocean.  The tide is coming in.  Everything seems to slow down now, like a dream.

Mom paints the sunset as I run along the seashore.  I toss a beach ball far into the ocean.  “Yah!”  And the waves push it right back to me.  I am playing catch with the sea!

Moonlit Beach

          Sometimes the beach is starry.  The bright white moon hangs high above the ocean.  Tiny stars wink like glitter above the dark palm trees.  Crickets Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!  Moonlight dances on the distant waves and the ocean flows in rhythm.  Cool air and a crisp breeze keeps us bundled in our jackets.  I pull my cap down too.  Bright lights shine from the amphitheater, where a band is playing in concert. 

Mom brings us blankets and hot cocoa to keep us warm.  We snuggle close, and enjoy the tunes of the night.

I love my times at the beach.  I want to stay all the time. But now Mom says we must go home and wave the beach goodbye. 

 

Sometimes, the palm trees wave back.

 

Author's Note

What is most important to me is the FLOW of the story. Like the ocean, I want this story to soothe, relax, and also excite and interest the reader. I would like to add a little more to Morning Beach if you have any suggestions. Also, I am looking for an illustrator for this book and I plan to publish it.

Reviews

[TristaLynn]

I enjoyed this story and can totally see it popping with the right illustrator. As for the morning segment, I would ask myself what does it feel like at the beach in the morning. You touch on most of the senses in the rest of the segments but the sense of feeling isn't mentioned in the morning segment. I know you mention that it is a bit chilly but perhaps you can expand on that? Talk about the goosebumps the child gets from the breeze, or how cold the sand is, or how damp it is upon his skin from the morning sun? That oatmeal must be very warming! Good luck and great job.