The tail of Emily Windsnap / Liz Kessler ; decorations by Sarah Gibb

Kessler, LizKessler, Liz

ISBN 10: 1842552716 / ISBN 13: 9781842552711

Published by London : Orion Children's, 2003

About this Item

Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dw, now mylar-sleeved. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered. Copy is not price-clipped. Signed and dated 1st edition. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 200 pages; Physical description. : 200 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. Subject: Mermaids - Juvenile fiction. Summary: Emily lives on a boat, but her mother has always been oddly anxious to keep her out of the water, and it is only when she has her first school swimming lesson that she discovers it is her natural element. As soon as she gets into the sea, she grows a tail! Now Emily dives under water to explore a glorious world of fishes, coral, shipwrecks and, of course, mermaids. She finds a best friend - another mermaid. She learns how her mother fell in love with a merman, how her father was snatched away when Emily was a baby, and how her mother's memory was blocked by an agent of the merfolk. And in an unexpected and exciting denouement she reunites the family at last. This enchanting fantasy, with its vivid scenes of a brilliantly realized underwater world, tells the story of a delightful and wholly believable girl. Strongly plotted, it deals with universal themes of families, friendship, love and justice - all handled with a lightness of touch and an assurance that marks Liz Kessler out as a highly accomplished writer. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 210188

Bibliographic Details

Title: The tail of Emily Windsnap / Liz Kessler ; ...

Publisher: London : Orion Children's

Publication Date: 2003

Binding: Hardcover

Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: First Edition.

About this title

Synopsis:

Emily lives on a boat, but her mother has always been oddly anxious to keep her out of the water, and it is only when she has her first school swimming lesson that she discovers it is her natural element. As soon as she gets into the sea, she grows a tail!

Now Emily dives under water to explore a glorious world of fishes, coral, shipwrecks and, of course, mermaids. She finds a best friend - another mermaid. She learns how her mother fell in love with a merman, how her father was snatched away when Emily was a baby, and how her mother's memory was blocked by an agent of the merfolk. And in an unexpected and exciting denouement she reunites the family at last.

This enchanting fantasy, with its vivid scenes of a brilliantly realized underwater world, tells the story of a delightful and wholly believable girl. Strongly plotted, it deals with universal themes of families, friendship, love and justice - all handled with a lightness of touch and an assurance that marks Liz Kessler out as a highly accomplished writer.

Review:

A great read ... we were gripped from the first chapter (Mizz)

Wonderfully inventive (Daily Express)

Fresh and funny (The Times)

Wonderfully imaginative ... like real life, the story has an everyday cheerful bumpy side, and a hidden side of deep loves and poetic longings (INIS)

Rich and strange (Independent Weekly)

This magical book is perfect holiday reading (Week Junior)

"...an absolutely enchanting debut - a salty splash of something fresh within the tradition of mermaid tales" (Amanda Craig)

"This is a great read for a rainy Sunday. We were gripped from the first chapter." (Mizz, Oct 03)

"¿a first novel with an intriguing plot" (TES, 12 Dec 03)

"Wonderfully imaginative, quirky characters people the world of Emily Windsnap¿this rich story will be enjoyed at many levels." (INIS, Children's Books Ireland Magazine, Winter 03)