All through the week as Sarah tries to hear the sea in a conch shell that Grandpa gives her, she is distracted by the sounds of her West African vil lage. On Friday Sarah complains to Grandpa that she has heard everything but the sea. On Saturday, when Sarah carefully follows his instructions to close her eyes and listen to what the shell says, she finally hears the sound of “water crashing, waves pounding, pebbles rattling, surf hissing, and the sea’s huge roar on the wide seashore” (n.p.). Bold, brightly colored paintings show details of the sights and sounds of Sarah’s village. ca

Originally published by Bloomsbury Great Britain, in 2006.

Sarah's grandfather gives her a seashell and promises that if she listens carefully, she will hear the sea inside. But Sarah is distracted by the bustling noise of her island community. Laundry flip-flaps in the wind, people haggle in the market, and plantains sizzle on the stove. Only when Grandpa helps her to really listen is the magic inside the shell unlocked. The special relationship between a child and her grandparents fills these pages with energy and imagination, while Ken Wilson-Max's colorful and energetic illustrations evoke all the sights and sounds of a West African village.