A dreary day at the beach takes an unexpected turn. . . . An illuminating and perceptive look at the quiet confidence in all of us.
—Kirkus Reviews
A dull day at the seaside yields to heart-pounding action. . . . Both a terribly highstakes adventure and a celebration of the act of looking closely—a favored theme of Browne’s—this day at the beach will have young readers riveted.
—The Horn Book
A rescue tale with a cracking finale, it’s also a story about learning to perceive, a theme pursued both in the story’s narrative thread and in its delicately conceived and executed watercolor illustrations, in which elusive forms—animals, faces, and more—shift and change.
—Publishers Weekly
A rousing episode of doggy heroism and an exercise in pareidolia. . . A rock Danny picks up with markings that look like a face prompts him to take closer looks at his surroundings—and viewers cued to do the same will find that in his tranquil seaside scenes Browne, ever the master of surreal transformations, has hidden more faces, plus animals, foods, and other items . . . See if that happens in the real world, the episode challenges children to discover. An insight worth taking to heart—that just an extra bit of vigilance can turn ordinary sights and moments extraordinary.
—School Library Journal