When a fisherman falls in love with a selkie - half-woman, half-seal - she gives him her sealskin as a sign of her love, and bears him two children, Ffion and Morlo, before returning to her own people.

When a stranger comes to the village, telling of a land far away, the children remember their mother's stories of the cities of gold and pearls beneath the waves....

Presented in a beautiful, new, gift edition, this is a haunting story of love and freedom, for all ages.

About the Author

Jackie Morris is an author and illustrator, photographer and painter. She lives in a small house beside the sea in Wales. Her many books include Tell Me a Dragon, The Snow Leopard, The Wild Swans and the illustrations for Ted Hughes's How the Whale Became. She has a lively presence on social media and the progress of her work can be followed on her blog: www.jackiemorris.co.uk

Reviews

"Jackie Morris creates a wondrous experience of timeless sea magic and folk-lore...marvellous, evocative illustrations and lyrical language."

* Carousel *

"Presented in a beautiful, new, gift edition, this is a haunting story of love and freedom, for all. A touching story of love and freedom. Beautiful illustrations with complement the story well and include a great level of detail."

* Reading Zone *

"What a joy to discover the republication of this glorious book in a beautiful cloth-bound hardback edition. Talented author and water-colourist, Jackie Morris, has relocated the Selkie myth about the seal wife from its more usual Scottish location to her Pembrokeshire coastal home."

* English 4-11 *

"This is an imaginative story that blends the story of the selkie (as a wife and mother) with the wider issues of poverty and eventual emigration ... The sepia illustrations capture the landscape of the village and its community , while the sea, which is where the seals and selkie live, presents its own colour palette of blues."

* IBBY Link *

"A truly beautiful piece of art, something that you always find with Jackie Morris's books. It is a story about a small fishing village in Wales and about a Selkie (seal woman) who marries a local fisherman. There is a melody to the words that link it to the movement of the waves on the shore and you have a real sense of the environment and the characters."

-- Margaret Pemberton

"The water colours on every page are a joy in themselves and you can spend so much time just looking as they portray the story in picture...A book for everyone to have, in the home to share, and to read alone, in schools for all sorts of projects in education and in the libraries. It is a book that definitely will not be staying long on the shelves but will be on the table, by the rug or in the fireside chair ready to be read time and time again. Recommended for all ages and especially for me!!"

* DolphinBooks - the blog *

"A true book treasure.. A captivating and haunting story...gorgeously reprinted and presented with new cover artwork and in a stunning deluxe hard cover. A real jaw-dropping beauty of a book."

* Read it, Daddy *

"First published in 2004 and now presented in a beautiful, new gift edition, this is a haunting story of love and freedom, for all ages."

* Achuka *

"A tender and mythical exploration of the selkie myth in a family context, with a gentle and evocative use of watercolour, this breathtakingly beautiful book is one to treasure."

* Book Trust *

"Poignant and touched with sadness, this is a magical story superbly illustrated with atmospheric watercolour paintings that capture the essence of the story."

* Parents in Touch *

"A beautiful cloth-bound edition of this classic selkie tale."

-- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller *

"A lyrical text and beautiful illustrations combine to make a haunting tale of sadness and of hope."

* The Ultimate First Book Guide *

"A magical tale of music and nature, which uses the selkie myth to show how the love between parent and child transcends loss and separation. Jackie Morris's lyrical illustrations and complete assurance of tone make it a treasure from the deep places in the human heart."

-- Amanda Craig

"A lyrical story, with beautifully painted watercolours."

* Books for Keeps *


Awards
Winner of Tir Na N-OG Book Awards: Best English-Language Book 2005.



Book Information
ISBN 9781910959473
Author Jackie Morris
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Otter-Barry Books Ltd
Publisher Otter-Barry Books Ltd