#557 of 1001 · February 8, 2022

The book of the day is Greyling by Jane Yolen and William Stobbs. A fisherman rescues a seal pup stranded on a sand bar. When he brings it home to his wife, they find it has transformed into a baby boy with grey eyes and grey hair. They name him Greyling and raise him as their own son. Fifteen years later, a terrible ocean storm swallows the family’s hut, and the fisherman is nearly drowned offshore. Greyling, in reality a selchie or seal spirit, selflessly dives into the water, reverts to his aquatic form, and rescues his father. He then vanishes from his parents’ lives, returning only for a brief visit one night out of each year. Yolen’s arresting prose injects this tradisitonal Shetland Islands tale with poetic language and high drama. Stobbs beautifully conjures the antique atmosphere of the seaside town with soft lines and a dark color palette. #grey #gray #sea #ocean #seal #boy #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks