Mariana and the Merchild

By Caroline Pitcher, Illustrated by Jackie Morris

3-5

JUVENILE FICTION

32 Pages, 9.5 x 11

Formats: Cloth

Cloth, $19.99 (US $19.99) (CA $26.99)

Publication Date: October 2024

ISBN 9781915659460

Rights: US & CA

Otter-Barry Books (Oct 2024)

Price:	$19.99

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.

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

Author Biography

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.

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