Sandcastles Are Forever - by Ellie Peterson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Best friends Cora and Shelly, who build sandcastles every day on the shore, confront the challenge of Shelly moving to the city.

Book Synopsis

From author-illustrator Ellie Peterson comes a sweet and heartfelt picture book about summertime, sandcastles, and the key to a long-lasting friendship.

For Cora and her best friend, Shelly, every day is a beach day.

When they get home from school, the girls shimmy into their swimsuits, grab their beach bags and buckets, and race to the water. Then their sandcastle-building ritual begins!

But one day Shelly announces she'll soon be moving to the city, and suddenly Cora doesn't feel like building sandcastles anymore. What's the point when they'll just wash away?

With gentle, heartfelt prose, author-illustrator Ellie Peterson explores the difficult feelings of loss and sadness that come when a friend moves away. Young readers will see that with the right tools--and a willingness to build again tomorrow--who's to say the things you love can't last forever?

Review Quotes

"Kids should understand the sand castle-friendship metaphor in this sweet story. They'll root for these pals and feel heartened at their ability to forge a lasting bond. . . Building friendships takes time and effort, but it's fun and worth it. So is this book." --Kirkus Reviews

"Folks who have mastered sandcastle construction are good at building friendships and mending them, too. Peterson tells a realistic story. . . [with] simply drawn digital illustrations [that] make good use of the seaside setting while expressing the girls' emotions with clarity and warmth." --Booklist

About the Author

Ellie Peterson grew up on army bases, where families move often and friends can be hard to keep. She now lives in Kirkland, Washington, and creates books like How to Hug a Pufferfish and School Is Wherever I Am. Ellie loves going to the beach; she once took third place in a sandcastle contest by building a giant sand hippo.