In this poetic tale, the parents and grandmother of a baby girl disappear at sea, and she is found drifting in a boat. The people of her village believe her to be cursed and shun her, leaving only her widowed grandfather to care for her. He teaches her to fish, to cast the nets and haul them in, to read the sky and learn about the sea. In classic fairy tale tradition, she is rewarded for her devotion to her grandfather, making for a beautiful ending to an exquisite story.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3?A fisherman rescues a mysterious boat-bound baby from the sea and raises her in spite of superstitious villagers' suspicions. While she is drawn to the sea, she stays with the old man. One day she frees a giant salmon from the overflowing nets of the village fishermen who accuse her of bringing them bad luck. Sure enough, violent storms keep the people landlocked. The old man dies and she buries him on the beach. As she waits by the sea, the salmon appears and asks her to kill it and place it in the fire. From the ashes the Salmon King, in human form, arises to take her back to the sea. This original folktale is well served by the muted and foreboding artwork; misty colors and a lack of greenery focus attention on the vast sea and those who live by its shores. While children may respond to the story's symmetry, its telling lacks the strength of other traditional, well-illustrated tales of the sea's magic, such as Robert D. San Souci's Sukey and the Mermaid (Four Winds, 1992) and Mary Pope Osborne's Mermaid Tales from around the World (Scholastic, 1993).?Susan Hepler, Alexandria City Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
The sea is full of mysteries. One day, a small wooden boat washes up on the shore by a fishing village. Inside the boat is a smiling baby. Her survival alone on the fierce ocean cannot be explained, and because it seems unnatural, it frightens the villagers. Only a lonely old man takes pity on her, and carries her into his home. Although the people in the village do not accept her, she thrives under the old man's care. He teaches her about the water, and boats, and fishing, but it seems that his lessons are already familiar to her. And although she is happy in the home the two share, she is always in the thrall of the ocean's song. Finally, she must choose: Where does she really belong, on the land or in the sea? Steve Mennie's superlative artwork is a perfect complement to Irene Watts' imaginative storytelling talents. -- Midwest Book Review
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