Stella: Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay

From the Publisher

Stella and her little brother are spending the day at the beach. Stella has been to the seashore before and knows all its secrets, but Sam still has a lot of questions. Does a moonsnail come from the moon? What can you buy with a sand dollar? Stella has answers for them all. The only thing she's not sure about is whether Sam will ever come into the water. Through exquisite watercolors, this book brings to life a perfect summer day and the sweet and funny relationship between an older sister and her baby brother.

Children's Literature

Charming, impish Stella, Sam, and dog Fred spend a day at the seashore in this added title about their adventures. Big sister Stella is Sam's guide to his first visit to the ocean, since she knows "all its secrets." Sam is concerned and hesitant, although Stella is reassuring. She is also a well of delightful misinformation about everything from starfish and shells to sharks and sea horses. She keeps urging Sam to come into the water but Sam is still reluctant. They dig a hole, then go fishing. Finally Sam is ready to join her and Fred to float smiling in the sea. Double-page spreads depict a typical seashore with sand dollars, sail boats, and sea birds. As usual, Gay creates adorable youngsters engaged in activities that invite us to join in. Her lines are delicate; her transparent watercolors produce naturalistic scenes. The text ignores Fred, but his behavior adds to the visual fun. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Stella and her younger brother are enjoying a day at the beach. Well, Stella is, anyway. Sam, who is there for the very first time, is full of questions. "Is the water cold?" "Are there any sea monsters?" "Where do starfish come from?" His sister has all of the answers, though not necessarily the factual ones. Starfish, she says, come from the sky, and moon shells come from the moon. Stella, who also knows "all [the sea's] secrets," is ready to go into the water. Sam, however, still needs assurance before he is ready to take the plunge. So, there are more questions. "Does a sea horse neigh?...Does a sea horse gallop?" At long last, he decides to join his sister for some fun in the ocean. Gay's illustrations, done primarily in watercolors with a touch of paper collage, are bright and have a whimsical touch. They show a self-assured child swimming and playing in the water while her apprehensive brother watches from the shore. A supplemental purchase.-Roxanne Burg, Thousand Oaks Library, CA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Details from Seller

• ISBN: 0888993374
• Publisher: Groundwood Books
• Pub. Date: March 1999
• Condition:

Comments from the Seller: 1999 Hard cover Good. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 32 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience.