Sammy Starfish was first told to her first grandchild by H. Jane Tomlinson, on a trip home from a Tomlinson family vacation on Long Beach Island, New Jersey in 1964.
Jane was trying to find a way to make the six-hour car ride home to Altoona, Pennsylvania more bearable for her grandson who was in the early stages of what turned out to be a chickenpox infection.
Upon returning home, she had the presence of mind to jot down the story on the back of a parish altar boy scheduling sheet.
Years later, Jane copyrighted Sammy Starfish so it could be shared with all her grandchildren and future generations of her family. The beautifully illustrated version of the story in this book is the result of a family collaboration to bring Sammy Starfish to life for everyone who shares our family’s fond memories of summer vacations at the beach or who, like Sammy, is curious and intrepid enough to find a way to chase dreams and shine bright.