Publisher's Synopsis
"Shelly Cat By the Sea: Adventures at the Beach" is the delightful story of Shelly Cat and her two "marvelous" mice friends, Marv & Louis, who live by the beach. The three friends build sand castles, collect sea shells, and have adventures at the beach seeing dolphins, sea lions and harbor seals. The inquisitive cat and mice watch pelicans plunge into the sea for dinner, snowy egrets "dance" on the beach and see cormorants with turquoise eyes and throats. Each adventure is an opportunity for education about the beach environment on the west coast of Southern California. Shelly Cat and the mice even spend time picking up trash on the beach. Shelly Cat is a very happy cat and clearly enjoys her life by the sea. She wears assorted hats and necklaces. Marv & Louis each have distinctive personalities. Marv is the serious one who likes to read books and watches out for Louis. Louis is shy and has a childlike silliness. Louis often carries paper umbrellas used for drinks that he found at the beach. One day the mice discover that they are talented at weaving baskets and hats from reeds growing in the marsh on the bay. Another day the three friends run away from the waves with the tiny Sanderling birds. Together they collect and learn about sea weeds and hermit crabs, which live in sea shells in the tide pools. Shelly Cat, Marv & Louis go grunion hunting under the full moon and collect pine nuts from Torrey Pine trees. They watch Western sea gulls raise their polka-dotted chicks. Every day is a marvelous adventure at the beach with Shelly Cat By the Sea and her two mice friends, Marv & Louis. Both adults and children will enjoy this book. "Shelly Cat By the Sea: Adventures at the Beach" has beautiful watercolor illustrations, which have been created from Nancy Lee, Artist By-the-Sea's nature photography. Nancy Lee, Artist By-the-Sea has previously published "A Guide to San Diego Sea Shells", which is a sea shell education book with her watercolor illustrations and photography of sea shells.
