“Elly and Nonna go to the Beach” is the second book in the Elly and Nonna series.
This book follows the many adventures of our grandchildren when they join Nonna on excursions to the seaside. Each journey is different, fun and exciting, and there is always a story to tell Poppy when they get home.
The idea of writing this second book evolved after that extraordinary moment, the afternoon my wide Kerri (Nonna) read my first attempt at storybook writing “Elly’s holiday at Nonnaand Poppy’s farm” to our granddaughter. Watching the joy on her face as she pointed to each animal saying its name, in turn, was an enriching experience.
But the innocence of children never ceases to amaze me. When Kerri finished reading, Elly turned to my wife and asked, “Why didn’t Poppy put me in my shorts?”
The best impromptu answer I could muster at the time; “You’ll have your shorts on in the next book.”
“Well, you got out of that one easy,” Kerri said with a somewhat cheeky smile. Yes, I probably didn’t think that through all that well. So, what to write about in this next book? It was a question I pondered for some time.
Many weeks later, the answer finally came while sitting at the beach, having a picnic with Kerri as we watched the children play games, make sandcastles, and collect seashells.
Kerri has an insatiable love for the seaside. The ocean is with her in her daily life and reflected in her artwork. Joining Kerri on one of her seaside adventures is a joyful soul-soothing experience. Her adventurous passion for the ocean certainly does not go unnoticed by the grandchildren.
And so, the storybook of Elly and Nonna go to the beach evolved.
