By Piret Raud
Published by Thames and Hudson, September 14, 2021
Review
The Sea calls to mind the joys and trials of parenthood, the Montessori philosophy of teaching children to care for themselves, and the satisfaction of learning to read. The personified Sea loves her fish – she cares for them and reads to them – but hits her breaking point and leaves one day. They miss her and the stories she reads to them, so they seek out someone to read to them. So desperate are they for a bedtime story that they agree to let a cat eat them if she will first read to them. Spoiler alert: the cat doesn't eat them. The Sea returns just in time and teaches them to read, allowing them independence and herself a breather from the demands of her fishes.
T asked me to read him this as soon as it arrived in the mail. He liked it, and we were both particularly taken with the illustrations. They strike me as odd and somewhat steampunky. It's almost like they are mechanical. I rather like the uniqueness of Raud's style. Anyway... The Sea is a good opener for discussion about demands and need for time to read one's own books. Children can be reassured that a parent's alone time is not a rejection or abandonment. For that matter, parents will feel validated when they need a break from the demands of little tykes.
While T enjoyed it, I think that it would be ideal for reading to a baby/toddler/preschooler.
Note: A review copy was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All thoughts are our own.
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