DUNBAR, JOYCE — The Sand Children

MacDonald Young Books. 1998. (ISBN: 9780750024761). Paperback. Paperback in good condition. 1998 MacDonald edition. Review - This picture book takes on a mythical quality as a father and his young son build a sand giant: "We made his hair with dried seaweed and shaped his teeth like little sand turrets." At sunset, when the two of them return to their campsite on the dunes, the youngster watches as a group of children descend upon his creation, trampling the sand-pail castles that surround the figure. The boy's fear that the giant, too, will be destroyed is never realized; the trespassers seem to respect him: "They patted and hugged and stroked him. Then they waved good-bye." That night, as the youngster looks out into the moonlight, he sees the giant fashioning a set of sand children. The boy joins in, adding faces to these sand people, and they come to life and laugh and play. The next morning, only the giant remains; he is once again seated in the same place but surrounded by footprints. Although the story is a bit of a stretch, the illustrations are beautifully done; they glow with deep blues, purples, and gold. The richness of the colors bathe the figures in a kind of shadowy mystery that beckons readers to join in the fun. Used: Acceptable.