The Sailor and the Sea Witch

By Preston McClear

Book Overview

"Once upon a time I heard tell a tale of a Sea Witch with a heart as dark as the bottom of the briny deep" ...And so begins the dream-like fairy tale, with watercolor illustrations by Nicholas Dollak,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1929084110
• ISBN13: 9781929084111
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Malibu Books for Children
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.5" x 0.5" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 8 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Many a Fun Night Will Be Spent Reading This Aloud!

"'Best beware, lad,' he said. `There is a sea witch known to prowl these waters. Many a man has been swept away on nights like this one.'"Indeed! Read this sumptuous seafaring book with a briny pirate's accent and you and your child will be similarly swept away. Preston McClear and Nicholas Dollak's exotic tale of bravery, danger, love, and mystery is told with bravado and panache. The book is perhaps best read aloud: There's an element of parody here that's captured best by the spoken word. (For example, the phrases "many a sailor," "many a man," and "many an adventure" all appear within the first six pages. At first, this repetition seemed like an oversight, later I realized what fun these phrases contain when read aloud.)The setting moves from ship to deserted island to trading port with several interesting plot turns. Nicholas Dollak's illustrations are tremendous: Luminescent, dreamy, and vibrant. These are some of the best illustrations I've seen recently (he and Yuyi Morales are among my favorite new illustrators). Dollak's palette and imagination suffuse the book with a fitting magical realism.The book is 34 pages long, and includes several full-page illustrations. There is an additional 4 page "featurette" called "How We Make a Book," Dollak's account of Malibu Books' history. As always, the company uses high quality paper that is a pleasure to handle and view. Very highly recommended. (Their other works include "The Boy under the Bed," and my personal favorite, "Frannie and Pickles." I look forward to more books from this team.)

Mystically Brilliant!

In this beautifully illustrated book, Preston McClear takes the reader on an enchanting tale. McClear's imagery is playful and unique! Nicholas Dollak's art is mystically brilliant!The Sailor and the Sea Witch is a romantically haunting tale; one of a feared Sea Witch who becomes captivated by a lonely sailor's seafaring journey and the comforting sound of his flute.*This story's premise, being a romantic tale, seems appropriate for the maturing reader, age 8 and older. A Kids Can Click Review

This Is A Great Story!

This is the tale of a Sea Witch who likes to capture sailors and take them deep under the sea. This one sailor, though, who liked to play the flute, seduced her with his music. She came closer and closer to his ship each night, and she was entranced by his handsomeness and his beautiful music. When the sailor left his seafaring life for one on the land to look for a wife, the Sea Witch became angry and sad. For she loved this sailor and would do anything to get him to notice her. She went on the land and changed herself into a beautiful princess and went looking for the sailor. Read The Sailor and the Sea Witch to see what happens when the princess finds him and his reaction! This is a great story! Beautiful illustrations compliment a well-told tale. Keep up the good work guys! by Lisa, BookReviewCafe.com

A haunting, wistful story

Illustrated in superbly executed watercolors by Nicholas Dollak, The Sailor And The Sea Witch is a unique fairy tale by Preston McClear about a love between a mysterious sea witch and the sailor who lived for the sea. A haunting, wistful story, The Sailor And The Sea Witch is enhanced with an addendum that includes a fascinating vignette teaching young readers this picture book was made.

Lyrical images and language for a modern classic sea-chanty

The tale of the Sea Witch told by talented children's author Preston McClear, with the bold and stunning illustrations of Nicolas Dollak, create an atmosphere where parents and their children may revisit the wonders of myth, folklore and the lure of the sea. In the mysterious world of the Sailor and the Sea Witch one will find a story that is both stunning and mystical. I have purchased The Sailor and the Sea Witch for my grandchildren and highly recommend this magical story of the beautiful Sea Witch and the handsome sailor who plays his flute on the deck of a ship and falls in love...