At the Bach

An evocative and beautiful bedtime picture book about summer days spent at the beach by internationally renowned author, Joy Cowley.

Summer holidays by the sea have a rhythm all their own. With a few resonant images, Cowley takes us straight to the end of a long hot day with beach treasures under the pillow and the salty smell of the sea. The cadence of the final words echoes the shushing waves in a gentle signal of time for readers to sleep—“good day, good sea, good sand, good night”.

This simple poem by internationally renowned Joy Cowley transports the reader to a childhood summer with language that asks to be read over and over. Hilary Jean Tapper’s warm watercolour and ink illustrations add an inclusive cast of extended family, friends and children of different ages.

This title is a special New Zealand edition using the original poem title At the Bach. The international edition is published as Good Night, Good Beach.

Storylines Notable Book Award New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult Finalist PANZ Book Design Awards Shortlist Aotearoa Bookseller's Choice Award Shortlist

Full of the warmth of friends and family, the basics of the beach and the joy of a simple holiday home. National Library of New Zealand, Best Children's Books of 2023
An ideal bedtime story, where every word counts. The Source, Magpies
Adults will enjoy this one just as much as the kids... At the Bach is one of those books that will open up the chance to have a natter with your kids about holidays they have loved, what the beach means to them and dream a little about staying in a bach just like the one on its pages. This is another beautiful addition to the stack of books that Joy has created over the years and it is one that, I think, will be a cherished favourite.... The Sapling

Joy Cowley is a celebrated New Zealand writer for children and adults, who has won many awards and honors. These include a New Zealand Arts Foundation Icon Award for lifetime achievement, the Prime Minister's Award for contribution to literature, and shortlisting for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Hilary Jean Tapper is an illustrator and creative arts therapist. Her picture books include What To Say When You Don't Know What to Say (by Davina Bell), ABIA Children's Picture Book of the Year, 2023.

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