  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2019 PreS-Gr 2—Sporting a blue-and-white bathing suit and wind-tossed hair, a young girl hovers near the ocean's edge. She collects interesting objects in her pail, constructs with rocks and sand, and fashions fanciful figures out of shells and seaweed. "Jamie hums. The waves swish," and time seems to stop, as the child immerses herself in her activities and imagination. When passersby repeatedly ask her what she is making, she responds, "I don't know," seeming to prefer the company of the sea, which "tells stories" but "doesn't ask questions." Finally, a woman arrives, carrying an easel and art supplies. When Jamie asks her what she is making, the newcomer answers, "I don't know yet." They work side by side in silent camaraderie until both finish their projects, and the two works of art, each unique and amazing, are finally revealed. Created with acrylic and oil paint, the full- and double-page illustrations depict a rock-strewn beach embraced by stacked cliffs in muted pastel hues and topped with lush evergreens. The sea shimmers with layer upon layer of deep blues, olive greens, and wave-crashing whites. Jamie's facial expressions convey her total absorption in her activities, and it's fun to watch the way she inventively incorporates different objects, both natural and found, into her endeavor. VERDICT This day-at-the-seashore tale also serves as a celebration of creative play and artistic exploration, and a reminder to stop and smell the roses.—Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 07/01/2019 Jamie plays by the sea, arranging found items in the sand. As she works, people ask what she's making, and she replies, I don't know. Her face shows increasing irritation at being interrupted by idle questions. However, when an artist arrives and sets up her easel to paint, Jamie asks the older woman what she is making, and hears a familiar answer: I don't know yet. The two work quietly near each other until Jamie declares she is done, and her new friend says she has finished too. The illustrator's acrylic-and-oil paintings are as expressive as Jamie's face, with bold brushstrokes that complement the gentle tone of the story using a harmonious color palette of blues and browns. This picture book incites the senses of sight, sound, and touch with the immersive scenery, the titular swish of the waves, and Jamie digging in the sand. This story could help explain how people occasionally need time and space alone, and it would also fit storytime themes of making art or going to the beach. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. Loading...
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