Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
140th out of 312 books
—
496 voters
The Serpent Came to Gloucester
Drawing on a true story, an award-winning author and illustrator present a picture-book tribute to the beauty and mystery of the ocean, and to the mesmerizing creatures that may frolic there.
It came from the sea, from the lonely sea,
It came from the glittering sea.
In a small Massachusetts fishing village in August of 1817, dozens of citizens claimed to have seen an enormou...more
It came from the sea, from the lonely sea,
It came from the glittering sea.
In a small Massachusetts fishing village in August of 1817, dozens of citizens claimed to have seen an enormou...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
May 10th 2005
by Candlewick Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
125)
I got this as a companion book to Dick King-Smith's book "The Water Horse," which we loved and which caused Logan to ask many questions about Nessie and other sea monsters. What a beautiful book! The luminous and haunting paintings show interesting details of 19th-century life in a fishing village and the way the serpent is portrayed is realistic (L dislikes cartoonish illustrations). My favorite is of the serpent cavorting in the moonlight. The story is written in the style of a sea chantey and...more
view 1 comment
I grew up in Massachusetts and I have never heard of this tale before. It's a fascinating tale, with a narrative that is filled with repeating phrases that make it feel like a part of a sea shanty and gorgeously detailed illustrations that look like they are from the 1800s. We really enjoyed reading this story aloud together.
I loved this tale, which is said to be based on a true story, of a serpent in the sea. The author writes in a beautifully poetic and rhythmic way. I read it aloud just to hear how it would sound. The illustrations are captivating!
By far one of my favorite children's books. I love the illustrations and the sea-shanty cadence to the story itself. It works well for teaching students about the serpent as well as tall tales versus true stories.
In an informative Author’s Note, Anderson explains that this book is based on many historical, eye witness accounts to sea serpents (portrayed in the book as large black swimming snakes which creeps me out a bit) off the coast of Massachusetts in 1817. It is a simple story that is taken directly from history, regardless of its fantastical content. Ibatoulline’s pictures use “the style of nineteenth-century American maritime paintings.” Both the pictures and the stories provide an opportunity for...more
Readers who are interested in or enjoy stories about monsters and/or unsolved mysteries will enjoy this one. A great book for younger readers needing a book that will also expand their vocabulary.
Beautiful writing. The text is a musical poem. Also a little weird. Must admit, I liked this more than kiddo.
A beautifully illustrated children's picture book, with a narrative in verse about a sea serpent which appears in the ocean off of a Massachusetts fishing village. Based on written accounts of repeated sea serpent sightings around the shores of Cape Ann, near Gloucester, Massachusetts in the summers of 1817 and 1818. The Author's Note provides more in-depth prose background information to complement the poem and the pictures. The detailed panoramic drawings of the village "in the style of ninete...more
Sep 18, 2007
Lisa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
seaside dwellers, mystery lovers, art lovers
With lovely illustrations and, as I would expect from Anderson, a scholarly reference list, this is a bittersweet tale of a changing environment, child-like wonder, and the difference between children and most adults when faced with the unknown. The verse only falters at a few points, but is anting and tells many stories at once.
Grabbed this off the shelf next to Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. Nice illustrations. Had no idea that there was a mysterious serpent off the New England coast back before and during colonial times. Text was rhyming and well-done.
Sep 01, 2007
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
read-childrens-books,
read-historical-fiction
A poem based on a true account of repeated sightings by many people of a sea serpent off the coast of Massachusetts in the early 1800s.
This gentle history of the friendship between a sea serpent and the residents of a small town is beautifully illustrated.
Jun 17, 2013
Yinzadi
marked it as to-read
Jun 08, 2013
Olivia Nelson
marked it as to-read
May 28, 2013
Beth
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2013
Kent Barlow
marked it as to-read
Jan 22, 2013
Jessica
marked it as to-read
Nov 30, 2012
Cassie
marked it as to-read
Nov 08, 2012
Holly Claunch
marked it as to-read
Oct 12, 2012
Dawn cline
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Matthew Tobin Anderson (M. T. Anderson), (1968- ) is an author, primarily of picture books for children and novels for young adults. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The...more
More about M.T. Anderson...
His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
