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Reviewed by Lois J Wickstrom for Readers' Favorite
Child of the Sea, written by Maxine Rose Schur and illustrated by Milanka Reardon, is a lyrical love story between parents and child, told as a fable. An old fisherman catches a beautiful fish and decides to bring it home to show his wife. As he rows his way home, the fish becomes a baby. The couple has always wanted a child, so they decide to keep her and name her Merella. They suspect she may want to return to the sea, so they forbid her to even look at it. Of course, she breaks the rule. Of course, she discovers her true home is the ocean. The love she shows her parents, and the love they give her in return are both beautifully told and illustrated.
Fables try to show us how to live by giving us extreme examples of everyday events. Parents make rules to keep their children safe. But sometimes those rules just aren’t suited to the child. Maxine Rose Schur has compassion for the parents and the child in this situation. Her tale takes the fact that all children grow up and leave home to lead separate lives and turns it into a myth of sacrifice on both sides. Real children often feel like a fish-out-of-water. This child truly is one. Milanka Reardon’s illustrations give a sprinkling of fairy dust to this tale of growing up and remaining close even when physically apart. Child of the Sea is a story for parents and children. Even though this is a picture book, I recommend it for teenagers who can understand the deeper levels of a fable.
