Searching for treasure by Johanna Bell and Emma Long

A stunning look at a child walking along the beach looking for treasures at the high tide line will enchant readers as they look at the range of things to be found. The readers walk along the beach with two adults and a younger girl, looking, prodding, collecting, marvelling. Smaller writing weaves its way along the seaweed telling the reader the reason some of the flotsam is there. Shells for example are the hard outer home of small animals, cuttlebone is the remains of a cuttlefish and sharks lay eggs some of which can be found on the beach. On some pages there is a lift the flap, showing more detail of what lies beneath the seaweed. These pages will excite the readers as they realise perhaps what they have missed on their trips to the beach, and makes them eager to visit again.

Toes are seen as the images show the flotsam from a child’s eye view, peering down to see what is near their feet.  And Emma Long displays a huge range of the detritus to be found at the beach, much of which is overlooked. She spies lots of different seaweed, shells, the tracks of ghost crabs, limpets, shark eggs, little crabs, dead fish, dragonflies, seaweed that looks like beads, pumice, dead beetles, small crayfish, and the occasional bit of rubbish. Each picture builds an image of what is to be found, and enquiring minds will think about how it got there, and what happens to it. The child collects lots of things to make a leafy sea dragon, which will inspire readers look at how it is constructed, and apply the methods to something of their own.  

The wonderful array of sea flotsam is a delight to peruse and readers will love spotting all the things they can, comparing their list with another’s. 

Together the beautiful water colour and gouache illustrations and text will delight, inspire and educate the readers as they learn to look beyond their feet on the sand. Teacher's notes are available on the publisher's website.

Themes: Beaches, Shore line, Marine life, Imagination, Seaweed, Flotsam.

Fran Knight