Riptide

Riptide may be an unusual name for a dog, but it is one that suits this one well. Rip is resolutely drawn to the salty ocean breeze, and the crash of the waves, and he simply cannot be discouraged—even in summer when he is forbidden to follow his instincts and race miles along the coast. “No Dogs on Nauset Beach!” the sign reads, and the guards protest, calling for his young owner Zach to come retrieve him daily. Yet Rip will not be deterred, and after one summer storm, it is lucky that he is not. Rip is desperately needed for a rescue, and is forever after known as the nineteenth guard on the beach. Based on a real heroic dog, Frances Weller creates a legend in Riptide, weaving this canine's tale with Robert Blake's stunning oil illustrations.Riptide is captured in all his joyful energy amidst vivid panoramas of Cape Cod scenery, his story immortalized in this classic picture book that children will love and adults will love to read aloud for years to come.

Frances Ward Weller holds a life-long love for the sea. She spent her childhood in Connecticut and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in western Massachusetts. Having spent twenty years in New Jersey raising their children, she and her husband Frank now live on Cape Cod, spending as much time as possible exploring its shores for inspiration for many of her stories.Robert J. Blake is an experienced illustrator who has worked on over thirty books for both children and adults. He works directly from life for many of his illustrations and enjoys traveling to do so, having painted in Ireland, the UK, Bermuda, and Cape Cod, among others. When not traveling, Mr. Blake lives in New Jersey.