Mariana and the Merchild

by Caroline Pitcher, Jackie Morris (Illustrator)

Overview

Mariana, a lonely old woman, lives in a hut by the sea-shore. The village children are afraid of her, though she wants to be their friend. One day a huge storm casts up a tiny Merbaby in a crab shell. Mariana loves and cares for the sea-child. She fears that its mother, a Sea Spirit, will think she has stolen it. But when the Sea Spirit comes, she thanks Mariana for saving her baby's life and asks her to look after the tiny girl until she learns to swim. Mariana's life changes: the village children love the mer-girl and discover that the old woman is their friend. Mariana knows that her beloved Merchild must return to live in the sea. When the day comes, however, she is no longer sad and lonely. The children comfort her, and the Merchild never forgets her. This poetic and lyrical re-telling of a Chilean folk-tale, first published in 2000, is now reissued in a gift format which does full justice to Jackie Morris's evocative illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781915659460
Publisher:	Otter-Barry Books
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Caroline Pitcher is the author of many books for younger and older children. She won the Kathleen Fidler Award for her first book, Diamond, and has been nominated for the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals and the English Association 4-11 Award. She lives in Derbyshire.

Jackie Morris is a bestselling writer and artist. She lives in Wales, in “a small cottage held together by spiders’ webs." As a writer and illustrator she has many books to her name; of which The Lost Words, in collaboration with Robert Macfarlane, is the best known. For Otter-Barry Books she has written, among others, the three much-loved Mrs Noah books, The Jackie Morris Book of Classic Nursery Rhymes and Something About a Bear.

Editorial Reviews

"Morris's style evokes both the solidity of indigenous art, with heavy, low-to-the-ground characters, and ethereal, fairy-tale illustration. . . . Matched with Pitcher's sparkling descriptions (e.g., Mariana's fire "spangles [the merchild's] tail with pink and vermilion"), the art conjures a folkloric world, where nature is no less mysterious than magic." —Publishers Weekly"Morris's dramatic paintings, done in reds, blues, and greens, make the story come alive. The subtle details in the borders, the clothing designs, and the household interiors provide a sense of setting and time. The realistic portrayal of the people adds to the tale's magic." —School Library Journal

"Subtle, visceral spreads capture the salt spray and the power of the sea, bringing characters to life in luminous detail that will draw young readers back into the tale. Full-page art matched with insets make this a good choice for both story hours and lap sharing." —Booklist
"A resonant, evocative tale about a lonely woman and the child of the sea who becomes her dearest companion. . . .  Conveyed in the emotionally rich telling are the rhythm of waves, filial devotion, the loving care of children, and the knowledge of beasts. The beautiful illustrations are full of the laps and curves of the ocean, the brilliant colors of sea and sky, and the gorgeous reds and dusky browns of fabric, interiors, skin tones, and shells." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Pitcher and Morris turn to Chilean folklore for this atmospheric story. . . . Morris's style evokes both the solidity of indigenous art, with heavy, low-to-the-ground characters, and ethereal, fairy-tale illustration, as in the delicate colorations of the merbaby's red tail. Flowing watercolors picture an ocean both bountiful and violent, and lyrically import Pitcher's imagery of sea-wolves that crest upon turbulent waves. Closely framed compositions allow Mariana to dominate most spreads, subtly conveying her initial loneliness and later suggesting her joy in the red-haired merbaby —and her pain when she must surrender the child.... Matched with Pitcher's sparkling descriptions, the art conjures a folkloric world where nature is no less mysterious than magic.

Publishers Weekly

Pitcher and Morris (previously paired for The Time of the Lion) turn to Chilean folklore for this atmospheric story. After a storm, lonely, old Mariana discovers a baby enclosed in a crab shell that has washed up on the beach. The child is a merbaby, and her mother, a resplendent sea spirit ("...tall as a mast. Her hair flamed red and her skin shone as if polished by the sun with mother-of-pearl"). The mother asks Mariana to keep the child, just until the seas calm. Morris's style evokes both the solidity of indigenous art, with heavy, low-to-the-ground characters, and ethereal, fairy-tale illustration, as in the delicate colorations of the merbaby's red tail. Flowing watercolors picture an ocean both bountiful and violent, and lyrically import Pitcher's imagery of sea-wolves that crest upon turbulent waves. Closely framed compositions allow Mariana to dominate most spreads, subtly conveying her initial loneliness and later suggesting her joy in the red-haired merbaby--and her pain when she must surrender the child. Half-page and three-quarter-page illustrations face occasional textile-like borders, finely wrought spot art and narrow vignettes, creating a visual rhythm that mimics the ebb and flow of the sea. Matched with Pitcher's sparkling descriptions (e.g., Mariana's fire "spangles [the merchild's] tail with pink and vermilion"), the art conjures a folkloric world, where nature is no less mysterious than magic. All ages. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 1-4-Old Mariana lives alone in her ramshackle hut on the beach. During the day, longing for companionship, she tries to befriend the village children who tease her behind her back. At night, she hides in her hut, afraid of the sea-wolves that come out to hunt when storms set in. One morning after a vicious storm, Mariana finds a large crab, which splits in two to reveal a Merbaby. Mariana wants to keep the child, and her wish is granted when the infant's mother, a Sea Spirit, asks the old woman to look after her "until the seas lie calm" and it is safe to take her home. As they watch Mariana and her charge laugh and play, the village children overcome their fears, and when the Merchild finally leaves, they comfort the grieving Mariana. At times the language sounds forced, making the rhythm choppy when read aloud. However, Morris's dramatic paintings, done in reds, blues, and greens, make the story come alive. The subtle details in the borders, the clothing designs, and the household interiors provide a sense of setting and time. The realistic portrayal of the people adds to the tale's magic. While not an essential purchase, libraries looking for Latino folktales or stories about merfolk would do well with this one.-Tali Balas, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

School Library Journal