So much of my role with Rilla is staying out of her way. Giving her vast stretches of time to draw and play, giving her space to get messy in. (Actually, she’s kind of a type A artist—very precise about her materials and workspace.) And of course strewing, strewing, strewing, the good old Sandra Dodd coinage* that captures the essence of my approach to family life: leave neat stuff where the kids can find it—and be around to talk about it when they’re ready.
She spent half the evening working away at this owl. Yesterday it was a pair of goldfinches, because they’ve been delighting us at our feeders.
Here’s the book that has captured her fancy: Drawing Birds with Colored Pencils. Amazon tells me I bought it in August, 2011. It saw a brief period of use then, with Beanie I think, and has mostly lived on the field guide shelf until now. I don’t know if it was chicken or egg—whether Rilla found the book and decided to dive in, or went hunting for help because she wanted to draw birds. I’ll ask her tomorrow, if I remember. All our drawing and nature books are stashed on shelves in our dining area, right behind Beanie’s chair and directly in Rilla’s line of sight.
*Sandra’s strewing page begins with a quote, “I just strew their paths with interesting things,” captioned “long ago, AOL homeschooling boards.” I was there, reading along, nursing infant Jane, when she wrote it! And now, many strewn paths later, Jane’s preparing to head off to college. We made the first big dorm shopping expedition today. I can still see those early AOL conversations scrolling across my screen—I got my first modem and my first baby in the same month—and thinking, Ohhh, this homeschooling thing has possibilities, I’ve gotta talk to Scott. Amazing.
A true story of try and try again can be found in Bella Saves the Beach by award-winning children’s author, Nancy Stewart.
Bella is sad when her beloved beach is loaded with trash. But with her best friend Britt away on vacation, it’s harder to clean up the beach than she planned. Each new idea doesn’t bring about the desired result, but Bella is determined to make the beach safe and clean for her animal friends.
To someone who loves learning, a book like Bella Saves the Beach is so wonderful. This book has two messages. There’s the environmental one about how dangerous trash is to wildlife. Then there’s the “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” message. Combining them makes for a superbly told engaging story about one girl’s determination to make a difference.
From the beginning, Stewart’s Bella and Britt series has shown young readers that their ideas matter and how they can make a difference when it comes to caring for our planet and its creatures. In this new book, the author takes that message to a new level by leaving Bella to face the challenge without her best friend Britt’s support. Now it isn’t two kids making a difference. It’s one determined young girl.
At the end of the story, the author shares information on beach trash, facts about creatures mentioned within the book’s pages, and encourages readers to have a Green Picnic on the sand, leaving behind only footprints.
One can’t forget to mention the stunning watercolor artwork of Samantha Bell. She has illustrated all three books in this series. With warm colors and rich details, she brings Bella’s story to life in pictures. A perfect complement to Stewart’s story, the artwork is so lovely you can almost hear the waves hitting the sand and the caws of the birds.
Bella Saves the Beach is a fine addition to the Bella and Britt series. I can’t wait to see what Bella and Britt are up to next.
Rating: 
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (February 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616333715
ISBN-13: 978-1616333713
The author paid me to promote this book through a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book. This fee did not include a review. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.
BELLA SAVES THE BEACH TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, April 22nd
Guest post at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection
Tuesday, April 23rd
Book trailer feature at If Books Could Talk
Wednesday, April 24th
Book review at On Words – Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts
Thursday, April 25th
Book spotlight and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily
Book review at Shannon Hitchcock Pen and Prose
Monday, April 29th
Book review at Hook Kids on Reading
Guest post at The Pen and Ink
Tuesday, April 30th
Guest post at Write What Inspires You
Wednesday, May 1st
Book review at LadyD Books
Thursday, May 2nd
Book review at Kid Lit Reviews
Friday, May 3rd
Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner
Monday, May 6th
Interview at Tribute Books Reviews and Giveaways
Tuesday, May 7th
Book reviewed at The Picture Book Review
Wednesday, May 8th
Book reviewed at My Devotional Thoughts
Thursday, May 9th
Book review at It’s About Time Mamaw
Friday, May 10th
Book review at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection
Monday, May 13th
Book review at 4 the Love of Books
Tuesday, May 14th
Book spotlight at Review from Here
Book review at The Jenny Revolution
Wednesday, May 15th
Guest post at Literarily Speaking
Thursday, May 16th
Book review at Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Reviews
Friday, May 17th
Book spotlight at I’m A Reader, Not A Writer
Cheryl,
Bella, Britt, and I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful review! I hope your readers enjoy it as well. It is always a pleasure and privilege to visit here, and today is no exception. I would be happy to answer any questions your readers may have about the book/s or the writing process. Best wishes!
Thanks for stopping by, Nancy. I’m so thrilled to see more books in this series. It’s been wonderful from the start. Congratulations on this latest release.