BOOKS: Three By the Sea

Congratulations to Carrie Wood for winning this week's book giveaway!  While this contest is now closed, please come back to SixSeeds for more giveaways for good, family, fun!

Title: Three by the Sea

Author and Illustrator:  Mini Grey

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Cost: $12.23

Buy it: here  

Looking for a way to discuss some potential pitfalls in life with your kids? If you want to skip the lecture, the outstanding picture book Three by the Sea might just be your solution. 

Author-illustrator Mini Grey writes about three friends -- Cat, Dog, and Mouse – who share a comfortable existence in their little hut on the beach, each character fulfilling their role. Dog tends to the bone garden, Cat takes care of the housework, and Mouse keeps their tummies full of cheese fondue. A sharply dressed fox (known as Stranger) from the Winds of Change Trading Company ends up on the friends’ doorstop one evening, with a pitch including a promise that everything is free. Because all he needs is a bed to sleep on, he invited himself in and is very comfortable in the only bed in the house.

The stranger challenges the routine to which the three friends have grown accustomed. Do they really want fondue every night? Maybe the garden could be spiced up a little? (The current bone garden is quite cleverly illustrated.) The stranger stays for a time, seeking to transform the friend’s current lives, making sure to leave his slick advertising cards with advice such as … “A True Dog Wears His Collar with Pride” or “Blow Those Troubles Away.”

As the friends maneuver the relational conflicts brought on by Stranger’s arrival, they realize some very important lessons about friendship (as well as adding a little needed zest to their lives!)

Bottom Line:

Is Stranger  good for the crew? You’ll have to decide that one for yourself. But, Three by the Sea is a delightful tale that cleverly addresses friendship, being blown about by whims, and ultimately how far loyalty will take you.

To Talk to Your Kids About:

Friendship was tested during this tale. What was positive about the relationship of the three friends? What makes real friendships work?

Most parents have taught children to be on guard for people who might physically harm them; but the chances are far greater that they will run into someone who could wreak havoc in their life without ever laying a hand on them. This book segues easily into a discussion on discernment -- particularly regarding individuals whose motives are more difficult to identify due to their subversive and subtle nature.

For Parents to Consider:

There are so many things being thrown at our kids -- what parent doesn’t want to protect them from potential danger? How do we warn them about voices that are not genuine and don’t have their best interest at heart? It’s tempting to protect, protect, protect. But as we all know, there comes a day when we aren’t there to protect. Will they be ready?

It’s tempting to run ourselves ragged making our kid’s path as free from snares as possible – keeping them from situations where their feelings will be hurt, restricting the wrong people from ever any access to our kids, etc. As counterintuitive as it feels, isn’t it actually less exhausting and more productive if we spend more of our energy delving into our own kid’s hearts? Rather than making sure evil and heartache never come in contact with them, how about taking an honest inventory of how equipped our kids are when it does come their way?

This little jewel of a book offers a good discussion opportunity for conscientious parents who are striving to “prepare their child for the road, not the road for their child.”

We are giving this book away this week! Please leave a comment for a chance to win. We always love to hear from you.

On one week from publication at noon (EST), we'll pick a name in a random drawing from all eligible entries received and send you an email notification.  When you receive your package in the mail, you'll find out which book you received!

Limit one (1) entry per person; NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. who are 18 or older as of date of entry.