The Fish Princess

by Irene N. Watts, Steve Mennie (Illustrator)

In this poetic tale, the parents and grandmother of a baby girl disappear at sea, and she is found drifting in a boat. The people of her village believe her to be cursed and shun her, leaving only her widowed grandfather to care for her. He teaches her to fish, to cast the nets and haul them in, to read the sky and learn about the sea. In classic fairy tale tradition, she is rewarded for her devotion to her grandfather, making for a beautiful ending to an exquisite story.

24 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 1996

About the author

Irene N. Watts is a German-born Canadian writer and educator. She was born in Berlin in 1931 and lived there for seven years. She moved to the United Kingdom by way of Kindertransport and was educated in England and Wales. Watts earned degrees in English literature and modern history at Cardiff University.

Reviews

[Candance Doerr-Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of a baby lost at sea and taken in by an old fisherman. The lyrical prose and hazy illustrations give the story a dreamlike mood. Uncertain of the young girl’s origins, the villagers treat the fisherman and child as outcasts. They find comfort and purpose in each other and their shared knowledge of the sea.

“Before she walked she swam, for she was a child of the sea.”

“The sea has sent you to comfort me,” he said. “I will be your grandfather, and I shall take care of you.”

Spoiler alert: The ending can be read in a few different ways, which is beautiful from an artistic standpoint, yet triggering in other ways. At times the girl seems to be a personification of the sea. This reading makes the ending more palatable. If not, I am unsure of how to read the girl’s actions in the end, beyond that of immense heartbreak and alienation. I will keep thinking on this.

Used: Paul’s Books Madison