(9) the Selkie Girl by Janis Mackay

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Janis Mackay
Pages: 32

Summary(goodreads.com):
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?

My Review:
Yay! I was so happy when I found that my local library had a new selkie children's book to explore :) After the last couple of selkie books that I've read, I was expecting another let down. However, this story was beautiful! The text is not juvenile, so adults and mer-children can enjoy it together. The illustrations were breath taking, especially of the selkie women. They really captured the alluring magic of selkies.

This book teaches young children the true value of friendship and promises, but also the lesson that if you love someone or something, set it free.
I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Selkie Girl by Susan Cooper

Book Type: Children's Literature/ picture book
Author: Susan Cooper
Pages:32

Summary(goodreads.com):
A retelling of the legend from British coasts and islands in which a man falls in love with a beautiful seal girl and forces her to live on land and be his bride.

My Review:
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I believe that just because a book is meant for a child, doesn't mean an adult can't read it! This children's book tells of the legend of the selkie and her sisters, and the fair-haired selkie, who is shown on the cover, is captured by a fisherman. This book really captures what the selkie legend is all about, such as the origin of the tale and certain aspects, like if a selkie's pelt is captured, they cannot return to the sea. This book was not written in a juvenile style in my opinion. The only thing I would change about this book is the artwork. It is kind of cheap-looking, and has a sketch-like, concept art look. However, this did not push me away from loving the tale written on these pages, and I am definitely going to add this to my collection, since selkies are my favorite type of mermaid, and legend as well. I loved this book, and I recommend this to people who love selkies, or as a good bedtime story to share with your children! I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie