Tulevai and the Sea
Written by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Manu Smith
Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand Limited
ISBN: 1-86943-221-5
Summary/Back cover:
Day after day, the sea watches Tulevai.
"What a strong boy he is.
I think I will make him my slave."
It asks the wind to help capture Tulevai.
Tulevai's mother believes her love is stronger than both the sea and the wind, and determines to get her son back.
Review:
I am quite the fan of Joy Cowley. Her imagination is amazing and like her colleague Margarety Mahy, she has written many children's books that cover a wide range of topics. No two of her books feel alike. This book was written after spending two months beside the hospital bed of her unconscious son, seriously injured in a hang-gliding accident.
The story itself reads like a Polynesian myth. Tulevai is much admired by the sea, who works with the wind to help capture him. When his mother hears, she defies nature and rolls back the ocean like a mat until she reaches her son, once again proving that a mother's love knows no bounds.
The rhythm of the text flows almost lyrically. And combined with the wonderful illustrations from Manu Smith, this distinctly pacific feeling story is hugely popular in this Polynesian household. Tulevai has long hair as does my eldest son, so another point of familiarity for us. And that is the beauty of New Zealand authors - there is a lot of relate-ablity in their stories that kiwi kids gravitate towards.
A wonderful, Kiwi read. 4.5/5
Review written by QTCass
No comments:
Post a Comment