'As a terrible tempest rages through her town, Morwenna is left to take care of a stranger washed ashore. The storm is just another of many that have plagued the area for years, and locals blame the tide singers - legendary sea people who are said to charm storms with their singing.
'Morwena has never believed these tales, but left alone with the stranger, she realises this is no ordinary girl. Can the stories be true? And if so, can Morwenna save her from the anger of the local townspeople seeking revenge?'
The Tide Singer is the new children's book on offer from Barrington Stoke Books, and it's absolutely filled with creepy atmosphere, wonderful world building, and some great characters.
As soon as the story begins we get a good sense of the mildly creepy tone that the book will have, as Morwenna introduces us to her family in the most delightful way. 'Our family have owned the funeral parlour in Carregton Crow and been cemetery keepers for as long as history can remember. It's an important job. The town is small and everyone knows each other, so we all feel the loss when someone dies.' If that description doesn't set a mood for the rest of the book I don't know what does.
The Tide Singer is a dark story, one where most of the events happen at night, or in the darkness of rainstorms and cloudy days. It feels like the kind of story where the cold and the dark are closing in around you, waiting to find a way inside your cosy home and give you chills. It's the kind of book that you'd want to read on a cold day as the rain comes down outside.
The story follows Morwenna, a young girl who lives with her father in the small coastal town of Carregton Crow in the year 1895. Her family are the undertakers, and as such, when not attending to a new death they sail their small boat out to the island cemetery, tending to the graves and replacing the old candles with fresh ones. Morwenna has grown up living in a home filled with the dead, and doesn't fear those who have passed on, and even spends her time on the cemetery island saying hello to each of the graves, and speaks to the coffins as they travel to the island, giving their occupants company as they travel to their final resting place.
Morwenna is used to a hard life, though one filled with love thanks to her wonderful father. But one day things change when a fierce storm rolls into town. The storms have always been a way of life at Carregton Crow, but now they seem to be getting worse. When a fishing boat goes missing everyone in town has to go out to help, including Morwenna's father. When he returns home, however, he brings with him a strange young girl, found in the stormy waters. He leaves the girl with Morwenna, heading back out into the storm once again.
When the girl wakes Morwenna does her best to be friendly with her, and manages to make the girl feel comfortable, but she finds it strange that the girl cant speak, and that no matter what she does her hair stays wet. Soon Morwenna comes to a startling realisation, that the girl is a Tide Singer, a magical creature that lives beneath the sea, and can use her singing to change the tides and calm storms. Morwenna knows that she needs to keep this realisation quiet, that the townspeople might try to harm the girl if they find out; but when Morwenna tries to copy the girls singing she sets into motion a series of events that will put everyone in danger, and could forever change the lives of everyone in Carregton Crow.
The Tide Singer is a delightful story, one that shows children that sometimes the things we've been told, the stories that get passed down over the generations and that people see as fact, can sometimes be wrong. The villagers of Carregton Crow think the Tide Singers are evil creatures, that they want to bring people harm, but Morwenna soon learns that that's pretty far from the truth. The girl that she befriends is a gentle person, one who only want to live in peace and harmony with the people of the town.
Over the course of the events of the book Morwenna learns that she has to stand up to the people of the town, that she needs to be brave enough to tell the adults around her that they're wrong. This is something that any child would find frightening, and it's a big thing for her character to do; but it's also an important lesson that children need to learn. Sometimes those in positions of authority are wrong, and you need to act whenever than happens.
The book also has some wonderful illustrations by August Ro, whose art works wonderfully at creating a sense of atmosphere. Whilst the cover is in full colour, and looks wonderful, the interior art is in black and white; yet this adds to the sense of darkness that looms over the book. It feels like the town is gloomy and storm ridden thanks to the art, and there are some wonderful images that help you feel like you're in this storm-swept town too. But there are also some really beautiful images too, images that how how beautiful it can be as well.
The Tide Singer is a book that is rich in atmosphere, full of interesting ideas, and some wonderful moments. It's got some important messages to tell, and uses this dark fairy-tale-like narrative to do so. An absolute delight from start to finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment