FORSYTH, Kate (text) Fiona McDonald (illus.) Two Selkie Stories from Scotland Christmas Press, 2014 unpaged $19.99 pbk ISBN 9780992283827 SCIS 1660749
Beautifully retold folktales with Celtic style illustrations will appeal to all who love the magic of the faerie world. The first story is a well known tale of the laird who falls in love with a dancing seal woman and steals her skin to keep her from her true world of the sea. The second is of a seal hunter who must repay his debt for wounding a seal but is forgiven by the seal people and then is rewarded by them. Kate Forsyth captures wonderfully well the oral texture of a Scottish storyteller which immediately draws the listener into the depths of the tales. The rich illustrations add to the wonders of the stories and are enhanced by the Celtic border motifs. The use of a Celtic open style font gives the book a satisfying completeness that makes it a pleasure to both hold and read. The book is one of a series that retell folktales from around the world. Particularly suited to primary aged readers but not to be missed by anyone.
reviewed by John Cohen
