Sallie & Sheba

This simple story is set on a west coast beach and describes the seaside walk taken by Sallie and her dog Sheba. It is an alliterative poetic reflection on the routine joy of walking the seashore with one’s dog. It captures the typical sights, patterns of a dog’s seaside discoveries, and the banter that occurs between owners and their dogs.

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The front cover of the story Sallie and Sheba featuring a black dog snuggling up near a woman's face.

The front cover of Sallie and Sheba

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Inspiration for the Story

Sallie and Sheba was inspired by a walk with my friend, Sallie, her dog, and my meditative ponderings on the tongue twister, Sallie Sells Seashells by the Seashore. Sallie and I both prioritize walking the beach at low tide. When we can we try to meet up for these relaxing saunters listening to the rolling waves, watching the dashing sandpipers while her present dog, Mo dashes from one beach finding to another. This day, while walking Muir Beach, I was watching Sallie direct Mo and thinking of the tongue twister. Sallie shared with me that they had another dog, Sheba, that passed away. This got me brainstorming over the hike of ideas for a children’s story using the classic tongue twister as inspiration. Days later the alliterative story was birthed. I wanted to capture the serene memories of that day, and as such, I was inspired to paint the illustrations. My goal was to make a book through Costco for Sallie. Since making the personal book, I’ve garnered the confidence to share the story through self-publishing. My hope is that it will serve as a souvenir for others, reminding them of their sacred beach walks.

Guide for Reading: PRC

Predictions, Reflections and Connections

Predictions

Predicting is an essential tool when developing as a strong reader. This story has been written to hook the young audience in engaging in predictable events.

Ask the following questions:

What sound or letter sound do you think you will repeatedly hear in the story?

What do you think Sallie and Sheba will see and hear on their walk?

Do you think that Sheba might run away?

Reflections

Reflecting throughout a book makes the story extra personal and come alive. It reflects a reader’s level of comprehension. A more thoughtful and complex reflection and connection reveal a higher understanding of the story. They also help reinforce one’s memory sequence which forms the basis of a retelling with more detail and reference to nuance. A simple and literal retelling reflects a more simplistic understanding.

Use the following questions for points of discussion:

Have you gone on walks or hikes with a dog?

Did the dog listen to the owner when called?

Have you gone on beach walks?

If so, what have you seen and heard?

How did you feel on your beach walk? Excited or relaxed?

Did you play in the water?

Connections

Making connections facilitates a deeper understanding of a story through making inferences, noting details and relating them to prior information. It is seeing, linking, and articulating other topics and events to the story. The reader is applying this reading experience to other learned information. Often when making connections the reader will arrive at exciting new insights that extend beyond the literal story.

Use the following questions for points of discussion:

What do you know about tides? Are Sallie and Sheba walking at low tide or high tide?

What happens at low tide on the beach? Do you see more sea life?

Why is it easier to walk the beach at low tide?

What are tide pools?

What are shadows?

When is a shadow in front, above or behind you? Try experimenting with a flashlight, pretending the flashlight is the sun.

What do you know about starfish and crabs?

Should you touch these animals?