A Day for Sandcastles

A Day for Sandcastles is a wordless picture book by JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Qin Leng. In this story, three siblings and their parents are on a coach bus, and the bus stops for a day at the beach. While at the beach, the children spend the day building a sandcastle. But the task is not without obstacles. A hat is blown onto the sandcastle, a toddler marches through, and the tide and waves each wreck the sandcastle. The children rebuild the castle throughout the day until the tide is almost fully risen, and it is time to board the bus.

While there is no big conflict or event in the book, Lawson’s story is a simple but relatable plot for children about a day at the beach. Leng’s illustrations create a beautiful and detailed wordless picture book. The variety of illustrations keep the reader’s attention. The pictures range from double page, full page, a third of page, and sixth of a page panels.

A Day for Sandcastles makes for a good co-reading opportunity for caregivers and children. There is lots to look at in the illustrations, and children can create their own narration and dialogue for the text.