The Fisherwoman

A gentle, softly-watercoloured picture book on the most exquisite terracota backgrounds that complement the story perfectly. Maud, a fisherwoman, lives by the coast in a leaky cottage. One wet night she's forced to collect the water coming through the roof in a pink vase she found in the sea. From the vase grows a magical plant that provides her with the means to fulfil her dearest wish. Sadly, once her dreams are reality, they seem to turn sour and slip through her fingers like grains of sand. She quickly realises that it's the steady, sturdier stuff of life that has true worth. A disquieting and thought-provoking story. At its deepest this tale works on many, many levels and is living proof that not all picture books are for the very young. I loved it!