The Seal Children

A fisherman called Ewan falls in love with a selkie - a half-woman, half-seal creature - because she loves his singing to the sea. As a sign of her love, the selkie woman gives Ewan her salty seal skin to keep safe. Soon after, the selkie bears two children for Ewan which they call Ffion and Morlo. The children help their mother and father on the land and sea, and in return, their mother tells them wonderful stories of life beneath the sea. This ignites something in Morlo, who longs to see the weed-waving forests! After spending years on land, the selkie woman begins to change and life becomes more difficult to live. Finally, she returns to her own people. When difficult times strike the family, the children call for their selkie mother to return from the sea. She does so and then takes Morlo back into the sea with her to gather riches from the underwater world. Soon after, the pair return to the beach and present Ffion with a small box filled with pearls. This gift gives the family and other villagers the help they need. This is a touching story of love and freedom. It has some beautiful illustrations with complement the story well and include a great level of detail. This book is most suited to children aged 5 to 8 who enjoy magical stories with adventure into unknown worlds. Picture Book / Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Lucy Newton, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 5+