The Selkie Girl
Written by Janis Mackay
Illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane
Published by Picture Kelpies
Rounding off our trio of reviews looking at the fantastic Picture Kelpies range, we've been taking a look at "The Selkie Girl" by Janis Mackay and Ruchi Mhasane. Tapping into scottish legends once again, it tells the tale of a young boy called Fergus and his father who are very poor, eking out a living from the sea and shore where they live. One day Fergus finds a mysterious fur blanket tucked away amongst the rocks as he combs the beach. He takes this newfound treasure home but doesn't realise that the fur belongs to The Selkie Girl, and without it she cannot return to the sea. For the fur holds the power to change the girl into a seal, allowing her to dive and swim underwater.
Trapped on land, the girl has no choice but to find her way to Fergus' cottage to beg for the return of her fur coat. Fergus (rather meanly in our opinion) likes her company, so tells her that he will return the coat to her if she spends a week with him on land.
The two become firm friends, and Fergus enjoys having a friend around - stark contrast to his usual lonely and miserable existence. But as the two play together, the Selkie Girl misses her family and thus must return to the sea...but what of Fergus, is he destined to be forever lonely? We'll let you discover this story and find out for yourself in the book.
Janis Mackay's thoughtful and touching retelling of this classic scottish folk tale is beautifully brought to life by Ruchi Mhasane's illustrations, and the lyrical text makes this a wonderful story to read before bedtime. We have been completely and thoroughly impressed with the Picture Kelpies range, fusing fantastic traditional stories with the very highest quality artwork and presentation. Do seek them out because they really are worth a place in your collection.
Charlotte's best bit: Fergus and Selkie playing together and having lots of fun
Daddy's Favourite bit: Another brilliant addition to the Picture Kelpies range, with a fantastic traditional tale melded with gorgeous art.
(Kindly sent to us for review by Picture Kelpies)