The Selkie Girl

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.