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Author Dick King-Smith brings us another adventure in the world of animals, but this time the animal is a little larger than Babe, everyone’s favorite pig. It’s March 1930, and a great storm is brewing off the west coast of Scotland. The residents of the little white house on the edge of the coast are preparing to batten down the hatches. Kirstie, her little brother Angus, their mom and their grandfather have all been through storms before, and they are wise enough to know the importance of preparation.
After the storm passes, however, life becomes fun again, and much less serious. Kirstie and Angus are allowed to walk along the shoreline to discover what treasures the storm has sent them. They are thinking of their father and being thankful that he was not in the midst of the storm when Kirstie stumbles across something that arouses her curiosity. They are accustomed to the starfish, shells and driftwood that wash up on their shores during a storm, but she has never seen anything like this square-shaped object that seems to be some sort of egg.
Without the knowledge of her parent or grandparent, Kirstie engages younger brother Angus to help her get the thing back to the house. They place it in their bathtub while they try to figure out what to do next. Kirstie has heard all of the stories her grumpy grandfather tells about creatures that come from the waters of Scotland, but she is not prepared for the adventure that will arise from the possession of this small square package.
Once again, King-Smith awakens the imagination of middle readers with his tales of animals that communicate with their human caretakers. This is a delightful story, and the release of the movie in late 2007 should only increase its appeal.
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Joyce Rice/2008 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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The Water Horse