Tales of the Seal People: Scottish Folk Tales (International Folk Tale Series) [Paperback]

Duncan Williamson (Author), Chad McCail (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: International Folk Tale Series

A collection of Scottish folk tales featuring silkies, the seal people who can take human shape.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-- A collection of 14 selkie tales from the Orkney and Shetland islands off the northern tip of Scotland. Five previously appeared in Williamson's Fireside Tales of the Traveller Children (Harmony, 1985; o.p.), but this new volume has bare-bones retellings that state the plot lines with scant attention to characterization or atmosphere. A brief introduction and short prefaces tell how the veteran storyteller came across the tales, and sometimes offer details about their sources and the people who passed them along to him. A glossary helps with the dialect, although the tales do not depend heavily upon it. Illustrations decorate the start of each story; they are dark, almost silhouettelike in appearance. The big advantage to this book is that it collects, in one volume, stories that would otherwise require researching many indexes to locate. Also, there is a current curiosity about seal people; recently such writers as Mordicai Gerstein ( The Seal Mother , Dial, 1986), Susan Cooper ( The Selkie Girl , McElderry, 1986), and Sylvia Peck ( Seal Child , Morrow, 1989) have used the motif. Large collections may want this as a source of more material for interested students, teachers, and storytellers. --Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, GA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940793997
• ISBN-13: 978-0940793996
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scottish Tales sure to please, July 26, 2002

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tales of the Seal People: Scottish Folk Tales (International Folk Tale Series) (Paperback)

Tales of the Selkies, half human, half seal people are woven in Scottish myth and lore - even in my own family. So I was delighted to find this wonderful collection of short tales about the Selkie collected by Duncan Williamson.

Just wish the tales were presented in a bit more depth.

Highly recommended to those wish pure Scottish Lore.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are of Scottish descent or want to learn more about Scotland, read this, July 17, 2008

By 

H. Kuratek - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tales of the Seal People: Scottish Folk Tales (International Folk Tale Series) (Paperback)

I think this is a really beautiful collection of authentic Scottish crofters' stories. Those not used to reading Scottish folk tales will probably find the stories repetitive at times, but the repetition is important - these themes were constants in the peoples' lives. It seems that Mr. Williamson did a good job of capturing the real stories and the real people who told them.