Janis MacKayReseñas

I really liked this book a lot. Loved the adventure and the whole story. The ending did surprise me a bit and I felt sad.

Lonely Fergus befriends a selkie girl. Lovely retelling of a traditional Scottish folktale.

A wee white seal spends his days on the beach below Jamie's cottage in this picture-book from Scottish children's author Janis Mackay, who has also written the Magnus Fin series of children's fantasy novels. His mother, who must hunt in the sea for salmon and trout, returns to him every evening, and they spend their nights together. When a group of tourists arrive one day, and assume the seal is abandoned, frightening him with their intrusive behaviour, it falls to Jamie to protect the young animal he has long watched from afar.

Part of Edinburgh-based Floris Books' Picture Kelpies line, intended to highlight and promote picture-books with a Scottish theme, The Wee Seal is, according to the blurb on the rear cover of the book, set in the Scottish islands. It addresses the important theme of having respect for wildlife, of interacting with wild things on their terms, and in ways that are beneficial to them, rather than seeking to gratify our own curiosity or desire for contact. Jamie keeps his distance, despite his obvious love for the baby seal, and the story encourages us to see that this is the right approach. Despite this praiseworthy message, and artwork that was quite appealing - my favourite scenes involved the seal himself, as seen on the cover illustration - I wasn't as engaged by The Wee Seal as I'd expected to be. Perhaps my knowledge of selkie lore, which often has a Scottish islands setting, had me expecting something a little more magical; or perhaps I wanted a little more insight into how Jamie was feeling, but somehow the story just didn't speak to me as I'd hoped. That said, it definitely has appeal, and I could easily see it being used in a story-hour about the natural world, and finding an appreciated audience in young animal lovers.

I got this book for my 11-year old daughter, but once I glanced at the first chapter I found myself reading it. It is a well-written, highly compelling, and ultimately deeply moving story about a girl, Agatha, who is projected 200 years into the future--from 1812 to 2012--by her father's time travel experiment. Once there, she needs the help of Saul, a boy her own age, to return. The important part of the story has nothing to do with time travel, however. It is the lessons that Agatha teaches Saul and his friends during her stay in the future. These range from practical things such as starting a fire without matches to much more important lessons about life and friendship. All of this takes place in a well-drawn Scottish village setting, and the author's use of Scottish words (and products such as Irn-Bru) adds to the flavor and authenticity. I know my daughter will enjoy this book as much as I did, although she probably won't cry (not with sadness) through the last few pages!

Accidental Time Traveller by Janis Mackay is about the friendship between a boy in 2013 and a girl from 1813. Saul is on his way to the corner shop on an errand for his mother when Agatha suddenly appears in the middle of traffic. He helps her find a place to hide, helps her adjust to 2013, and ultimately helps her find her way home.

The book is probably best suited for children living in and around Edinburgh, Scotland as it's very detail oriented, especially for Agatha's half of the story. There's an afterword by the author explaining the inspiration for Agatha.

That said, Saul is a relatable protagonist. Although he's frustrated by having to now share his parents (and their limited funds for toys) with his infant twin brothers, he's not consumed by his emotions (as is often the case with this sort of set up). He is genuinely concerned about Agatha and is willing to help.

Agatha, too, isn't a complete fish out of water. Two hundred years is a long time, sure, but these a children growing up in the same neighborhood of the same city — a city with a much longer history. That shared geography with shared traditions gives Agatha a point of reference for learning about the modern day.

My one quibble, though, is the title. Yes, Agatha is a time traveller. But there's nothing accidental about her arrival in 2013. Perhaps the word unexpected would be a better one. Agatha is a time traveler, though this is the longest she's gone into her future. The how and why of her ability to travel is more grounded in metaphysics and magic than in wibbly wobbly science young Doctor Who fans might be expecting.

All in all, I liked it. It took me a while to settle on a premise I had misunderstood (as had other reviewers). Somehow I had expected Saul to go back in time, rather than Agatha to come forward in time.