I can see Hello Ocean being an effective mentor text for writing workshop (maybe children could do descriptive writing about their own favorite places?). But my favorite refrain is when she addresses the sense of taste at the beach: “I taste the ocean and wonder why / it tastes like tears I sometimes cry.” Her language is just as striking as Astrella’s illustrations!Īre you a teacher or a homeschool parent? Then stick with me here, because Hello Ocean has so many teaching applications! Through just this text, you could have lessons and discussions about rhyming words, your five senses, descriptive writing, and rich vocabulary words, among others.

We feel the in and out push and pull of the tide and the “slippery seaweed that wraps around.” And the numerous smells of the beach, from sunscreen to salt to fish? She’s got those covered too. Through her illustrative writing, we can see the various shades of blue that the main character sees, and we hear the “lion’s roar” of the ocean. Written in verse, Ryan’s story allows readers to insert themselves into this day at the beach. You may know Ryan from the novels she’s written (such as Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi León, The Dreamer, and Echo), but her picture books are outstanding as well. And, be sure to check out the sunset this family sees as they leave the beach. He has captured so many of the rich details of a day at the beach so well that these images, at times, almost feel like photographs.

While I do love Ryan’s writing in Hello Ocean, Astrella’s illustrations are some of my favorites. Using acrylics on airbrush paper (don’t worry, I had to look up airbrush paper myself, and from what I can tell, not many artists work with it!), Astrella fills every single space with vibrant, eye-catching color. While I usually start a recommendation by talking about the story itself, I’m going to address these illustrations first, because they are absolutely stunning.

Hello Ocean by Pam Muñoz Ryan