Title: Let’s Imagine an Adventure To … The Beach
Author: E. Sissy Crawford
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-7283-2739-6
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Pages: 26
Reviewed by: Beth Adams

Read Book Review

One of the most powerful forces in the Universe is that of consciousness, and in particular the power of imagination. French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said, “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” That’s exactly what author E. Sissy Crawford works with as she stirs up the energy of the mind of youngsters in her book, Let’s Imagine an Adventure To … The Beach.

With illustrations by artist Dawn Fenton and creative consulting from Trish Adams, Crawford has crafted a series of rhetorical questions which can be read to children, using it as the foundation for discussions, as well as a pathway to steer the children’s imagination into creative tributaries of thought. Acting as fuel for the powerful fire of imagination, the book is an ideal launching base to bring out the vast possibilities of new and fanciful ideas, logical deductions, and meditative awareness from within the minds of the readers. Each page combines many questions along with non-verbal information obtained within the illustrations designed to synergistically create a bonding experience with a parent reading this to a child. To this goal, the ending of the book actually tells of some techniques of how best to use the book to stir up children’s imaginations

The illustrations are of sand-swept drawings of beach scenes, with in some cases, items of clothing placed and toys, which are used to ask the young readers which of these items would be best to use on particular days? The beach could be hot and sunny, or the opposite, cold and windy; so, the items of clothing vary from bathing suites and beach towels to long pants, socks, sneakers and jackets. The wide range of thoughts asked of the readers deals with feelings, anticipation, practical decisions, and creative daydreaming; just to name a few. The book stays on topic – that is being a day at the beach – so by the ending of the book readers will feel, as I did, that a trip to the beach was actually enjoyed. And the best part is each time the book is read, again- and-again, a new and original day at the beach will be enjoyed, over-and-over.

Sissy Crawford’s Let’s Imagine an Adventure To … The Beach is a book which opens readers’ minds to the many aspects of a day by the ocean. It is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors, even while being inside or even at bedtime, because the mind is a powerful force and can do many things, especially when using one’s imagination.