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To Know the Sea
Far away in a mountain kingdom, lives Isola, a little princess who longs for the Sea. Despite the heroic efforts of several young men from the village, no one is sucessful in bringing the sea to Isola, until Peter, an old sailor, arrives with his pack of books and his memories. He teaches Isola the lore of the sea and when she is ready, she comes down from her mountain home and sets sail in a ship of her own. An original fairy tale, this book with its delightful,quirky illustrations, reveals a child's unquenchable spirit and her awakening to the unknown world over the horizon.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 20, 2017
The first thing you will notice about this book is the dramatic and beautiful illustrations. On the cover you see the green eyed, black haired girl hugging a book and dreaming about tropical fish. She has a captivating expression.
The story begins with this little princess having a tantrum. Although the king and queen try their best to make her happy and the people of the court provide much unsolicited advice, no one can calm the little princess. There is no way around it. The princess wants to “know the sea.”
Everyone tries in humorous and disappointing ways to bring the sea to the little princess. Finally, Peter brings her all the books she would ever need to learn all there is about the ocean. The Princess is happy. Then, the day comes when she leaves to become a mariner.
This original story by Gilbert has the authentic ring of a fairy tale. Children will keep reading to find out what crazy scheme will be introduced and if the Princess ever meets the sea. The vocabulary is rich, sometimes lyrical, without slowing the pace.
The pages are filled with intriguing pictures that will slow the reader down to enjoy the gorgeous detail.
I love that the Princess stays true to herself and becomes a sailor. This is definitely a book I would happily give to a child, especially to a girl who might need encouragement to fulfill her own dreams.
A paper copy of this book was generously donated by the author to my Little Free Library.
The story begins with this little princess having a tantrum. Although the king and queen try their best to make her happy and the people of the court provide much unsolicited advice, no one can calm the little princess. There is no way around it. The princess wants to “know the sea.”
Everyone tries in humorous and disappointing ways to bring the sea to the little princess. Finally, Peter brings her all the books she would ever need to learn all there is about the ocean. The Princess is happy. Then, the day comes when she leaves to become a mariner.
This original story by Gilbert has the authentic ring of a fairy tale. Children will keep reading to find out what crazy scheme will be introduced and if the Princess ever meets the sea. The vocabulary is rich, sometimes lyrical, without slowing the pace.
The pages are filled with intriguing pictures that will slow the reader down to enjoy the gorgeous detail.
I love that the Princess stays true to herself and becomes a sailor. This is definitely a book I would happily give to a child, especially to a girl who might need encouragement to fulfill her own dreams.
A paper copy of this book was generously donated by the author to my Little Free Library.
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September 5, 2008To read our full review, go to the Reading Tub.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews