Can You Hear the Sea? - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 3–Exuberant colors and evocative text are a winning combination in this appealing story about a Ghanaian girl and her beloved grandfather. Before Grandpa leaves on a trip, he gives Sarah a beautiful shell and tells her that it is magic; if she holds it up to her ear, she will be able to hear the sounds of the sea. Her grandmother says, Don't go believing all that nonsense, but Sarah doesn't listen because her grandpa never, ever told a lie. As the story unfolds, day by day, for a week, the child becomes frustrated; she traverses her village holding the shell to her ear and hears the laundry flip-flapping, monkeys chattering, banana trees swish-swishing, plantains sizzling, pepper stew sput-sputtering–but never the sounds of the sea–until Grandpa returns. Radiant swaths of skillfully harmonized acrylic colors are accentuated by thick black lines, and spare yet expressive facial features glow from each page. One particularly striking scene shows Sarah and her grandpa sitting on a bench with their backs facing out: it is their postures that communicate the palpable tenderness of the moment. Large print, a reassuring narrative, and vibrant paintings make this book an excellent choice for storytime.–Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA
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