The Selkie Girl (Traditional Scottish Tales) - Softcover

Mackay, Janis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782501304 ISBN 13: 9781782501305

Publisher: Kelpies, 2014

Synopsis

Fergus lives with his father by the sea, but is lonely. He wants a friend more than anything.

One day Fergus finds treasure on the beach: a beautiful fur blanket hidden in the rocks. But Fergus doesn't know that his treasure belongs to someone else -- a selkie girl has lost her seal skin and can't go home to the sea without it.

Will Fergus give his new friend what she needs, and risk being lonely again?

This is a lovely retelling of the traditional Scottish folk tale of the selkie (a seal who can become human) adapted for a young audience. Beautifully written by storyteller and selkie storyteller Janis Mackay, the tale is accompanied by stunning illustrations by Ruchi Mhasane.

The Selkie Girl is one of the first titles released in the Picture Kelpies: Traditional Scottish Tales range of picture books that bring classic Scottish folk and fairy tales to life for young children."

About this title

About the Author:

Janis Mackay currently lives in Edinburgh, where she teaches creative writing and works as a writer and storyteller. She is the author of several novels for older children including the Magnus Fin trilogy, and The Accidental Time Traveller, winner of a Scottish Children's Book Award. Ruchi Mhasane has a masters degree in children's book illustration from Cambridge School of Art. She currently lives in India, where she grew up.

From School Library Journal:

K-Gr 2—In this retelling about the traditional Scottish selkie, a half-human, half-seal creature, Fergus and his father live alone by the sea. A widower trying to provide for his son, the fisherman worries about the increasingly small number of fish he is able to catch each day. Fergus spends most of his time alone, wishing for a friend and looking for treasures on the beach. During one foray he finds a silky fur flecked with silver. "Treasure!" he cries. In his excitement, Fergus doesn't notice a girl waving at him from down the beach. She is a selkie and needs her skin to return to the sea. Later, Shonagh finds the boy and demands her skin back. Fergus's great desire for a friend causes him to strike a bargain. If Shonagh will spend seven days with him, he will return it. They enjoy each other's company, playing tag and flying kites. The selkie girl teaches Fergus how to catch fish with his bare hands, and his father is thrilled with the bounty the boy brings home. On the seventh day, the skin is returned so Shonagh can rejoin her mother in the sea. The sumptuous watercolor illustrations are full bleed and beautifully detailed. Blues, greens, and browns are used in varying degrees to richly portray the ocean and shore. VERDICT This is a vibrant addition for folklore collections.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: Kelpies
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1782501304
• ISBN 13: 9781782501305
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Mhasane Ruchi