Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Award-winning author Nancy Stewart has done it again. Her book, Bella Saves the Beach, is another masterpiece. As a parent, I like the idea of teaching kids the importance of taking care of the environment. It is in my opinion, a good idea to teach that lesson early on.
In Bella Saves the Beach, Bella wants to help clean up the litter left by people. She is quite upset that people are not using the trash bins. At first, she is not very successful in getting others to help her pick up the trash.
Goal-oriented and very determined, Bella comes up with many ways to achieve her desire to clean up the beach.
It is very refreshing to see a child put out a concerted effort to make a difference. Bella Saves the Beach is a story that teachers, parents, grandparent, and guardians can use to teach young children about helping make a difference.
There are many lessons children can learn from this inspiring story. Here are the lessons that stand out:
- Goal-orientation: Bella is determined to find help and does not give up even though she encounters a few setbacks.
- Being environmentally aware: It is a shame that people do not use the trash receptacles to dispose of trash. The author explains that trash can harm land, air, and sea creatures. It then becomes the responsibility of humans to keep the beaches safe for all to enjoy.
- Children have the power to make a difference too: This angle of the story is my favorite. Too often, children are not considered mature enough to make a difference. Bella Saves the Beach shows that kids and adult have the power to make a positive change that everyone can benefit from.
The illustrations bring the story to life. The soft watercolors transport me back to my favorite place, the beach. They serve a twofold purpose. Children can enjoy the beauty of the beach while learning the value of helping keep our environment a safe place for everyone to enjoy.
To learn more about Nancy Stewart visit her website.
Sounds like a winning educational book for children. Thanks for you review Nicole, and to you Nancy I wish great success. Happy writing!
Hi Nicole, great review of Nancy’s new book! I love this series and this is a great new addition. I like the positive lessons in this book. Thanks for sharing.
Many thanks, Nicole, for your wonderful review of Bella Saves the Beach. I so appreciate your taking the time to review it. As always, I am always happy to answer any questions your readers may have.
All best wishes to you and your readers!
A very thorough review,Nicole. Nicely done.I especially like the way you pointed out the lessons to be learned from Nancy’s exceptional book focusing on the environment.
Excellent and thorough review of an educational and oh, so pretty book. I agree that the artwork transports you right to the beach. I can almost hear the waves crashing. Almost. 🙂
This is a great way to introduce young children to the ideas of environmental responsibility and a springboard into a classroom discussion of what you can do both at school and at home to lessen the impact we make on our world. It is never, never too soon to start these discussions with young minds. Terry Cook
I love that this book shows children can make a difference. It is so true, and I think kids need to see examples of this!
I agree that showing kids they can make a difference is the best thing about this book.