Robert Wyland

"The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul."

These words encompass the essence from which my first children's picture book was birthed. Hopkins Goes to the Beach is a story shaped from real life experiences that only ocean life can have on families, especially young children. Hopkins, a black labrador retriever, embarks on a day trip to the beach with his mommy. As a result of not listening to his mother's wishes, Hopkins plunges into a world filled with animals, families, and activities he has never before experienced. After an exhilarating day spent drenching himself in ocean life, darkness begins to blanket the beach and Hopkins is left wondering if he will ever be reunited with his mommy.

​

I grew up at the beach in Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, so the sounds and smells of ocean life still permeate my being deep in the heart of Tennessee. I am a passionate lover of Labradors, Hopkins being my graduation present from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in 2004. My three children (currently three years old and under) are the drive I have to promote a passion for reading and literacy, as well as a love of our oceans and other natural wonders.