An evocative bedtime picture book that distills the essence of a family summer at the beach—skin sticky with salt, sandy feet, waves hush-hushing, and a shell under the pillow.

Summer holidays by the sea have a rhythm all their own. With a few resonant images, Cowley takes us straight to the end of a long hot day with beach treasures under the pillow and the salty smell of the sea. The cadence of the final words echoes the shushing waves in a gentle signal of time for readers to sleep—"good day, good sea, good sand, good night."

This simple poem by internationally renowned author Joy Cowley transports the reader to a childhood summer with language that asks to be read over and over. Hilary Jean Tapper's warm watercolor-and-ink illustrations add an inclusive cast of extended family, friends, and children of different ages.

Prizes

Reading Rockets Summer Reading Guide

"Exudes the satisfactions of a salt-sprayed holiday."—The Wall Street Journal

"Tapper's illustrations, simple yet lively ink drawings with soft watercolor washes, are particularly evocative of a child's beach experience. . . A pleasing, summery picture book."—Booklist

Joy Cowley is a celebrated New Zealand writer for children and adults, who has won many awards and honors. These include a New Zealand Arts Foundation Icon Award for lifetime achievement, the Prime Minister's Award for contribution to literature, and shortlisting for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Hilary Jean Tapper is an illustrator and creative arts therapist. Her picture books include What To Say When You Don't Know What to Say (by Davina Bell), ABIA Children's Picture Book of the Year, 2023.