Synopses & Reviews
For seven generations the men of Duncan's family have fished in broad wooden boats off the coast of Newfoundland. But those days are over. The cod have disappeared from the North Atlantic, and the longliners no longer return with rich bounties from the sea. Many fishermen have left to find work. Duncan's father is trying to stay put, in the place where he and his family have lived forever... but time and money are running out. Will the family have to leave their home? Or is there another way--Duncan's way? Striking watercolors by Ian Wallace perfectly capture the rugged beauty of the North Atlantic coast. In equally deft strokes, his words chart the emotional journey of a boy and his family caught in a life crisis.
Review
The more than full-page watercolors realistically capture the harsh beauty of the landscape... Wallace's text eloquently conveys Duncan's anxiety over the threat of losing the home he has always known. An affecting offering that addresses current issues. (School Library Journal)
Review
(Wallace) finds a way to make (this book) kid-friendly by having (a) man's young son dream up a credible, creative way for (the) man with a boat to make a living. The watercolors are lovely. (Buffalo News)
Review
The watercolor illustrations for this tale are beautiful. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Review
Wallace's finely detailed, lifelike watercolor paintings convey the stark, iceberg-filled seascape of the Newfoundland coast as well as the plaintive tone of this affecting story. Duncan's father can no longer fish since the cod disappeared from the ocean; the man now spends his days baking and listlessly watching TV. Desperate to get his father 'back to the sea' and prevent his family from moving away from his birthplace, 11-year-old Duncan pays a visit to Mr. Marshall, a wise friend and retired fisherman. As the two watch the man's model trains traverse a miniature landscape that duplicates their coastal town, Mr. Marshall subtly guides Duncan's thoughts until the boy verbalizes a possible solution, and the tale ends on a note of hope. The narrative may be occasionally wordy, but there is nothing extraneous in Wallace's evocative artwork. A shirt hanging on a clothesline in the foreground frames an image of Duncan and his father, talking intently on the lawn; a peek through a window into the family's simple home, which is flanked by an enormous, barren boulder and a fence in need of painting, shows Duncan's mother giving him a reassuring hug. Wallace creates some memorable portraits within this larger picture of a vanishing way of life. (Publishers Weekly)
Synopsis
Duncan's family has always lived by the sea and made their living. What will become of them now that the cod are gone? So Duncan puts his mind to finding solution--a task he manages with terrific results. Full-color illustrations.
Synopsis
Duncan's family has always lived by the sea and made their living. What will become of them now that the cod are gone? So Duncan puts his mind to finding solution--a task he manages with terrific results. Full-color illustrations.
About the Author
Ian Wallace is one of Canada's most honored picture-book artists. Boy of the Deeps, his most recent work, was also published by DK Ink. Hungry Mind Review said of that book: "Ian Wallace's dignified, subtle, yet precise text invites reflection and portrays with wrenching accuracy the bravery and hardship of children forced to give up their childhoods to work in mines, fields, and factories." Mr. Wallace lives in Toronto with his wife, Deb. He travels widely throughout the United States and Canada, giving readings at schools and libraries.