This portable, durable guide is a hands-on introduction to cool yet common beach life--from hermit crabs and seagulls to mussels and slipper shells. The book only includes seashells, creatures, and plant life that kids are likely to encounter on a walk on the beach anywhere in the US--Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf Coast, bayside, and/or in inlets. Section openers teach kids how to be keen observers and good collectors. Carefully culled facts make for rich and rewarding beach time. And ideas for excellent activities--from making wind chimes to digging for mussels--are designed to engage.