Lawson, JonArno. Day for Sandcastles. A. Qin Leng, Illus. Picture Book. Candlewick, 05/2022. [44]pp. $17.99. 978-1-5362-0842-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-3.
On a summer day, a white family takes the bus to the sea where the three siblings—aged roughly four to nine—make and remake a sandcastle. There are no words, but Leng’s detailed watercolor-and-pen illustrations, broken into multi-sized panels, convey all the minute, charming, and dismaying action as the three children battle wind, waves, toddlers, and time. Rarely have sibling interactions been so perfectly conveyed and such joy, despair, and determination been so convincing. Almost as engaging as the building project are all the myriad interactions and dramas going on among the other diverse beach visitors.
Melissa McAvoy, Retired
