sand sculpture by sandy feet

Not long ago I was invited to write a jacket blurb for a charming new children's book - "Hamlet and the Magnificent Sand Castle" - written and illustrated by Brian Lies, published by Moon Mountain. (Hamlet is a pig with a talent for getting himself in trouble.)

In July, I was invited to Rhode Island to carve Hamlet and his castle in sand and had a great time doing so. Robert Holtzman, his wife Cate and son Max - aka "Moon Mountain Publishing" welcomed me into their home during my short stay and the quality of the local building material helped me develop a new appreciation for New England beaches.

This was basically a one-day project (Bob and his friends helped with the pound-up on the day of my arrival) and shortly after it was completed they let the kids do what kids always want to do.

(BTW - the book really is lovely and I suggest you head over to Moon Mountain's web-site to find out more about it.)