The Selkie's Mate

By Nicola Davies

In a land where people flow between ocean and land, a seal and a fisherman sing together under a flowing moon.

One in a series of tales that explore the deeper, darker side of our connection with the natural world. Be ready to feel a little bit of magic, and perhaps a few shivers down the spine.

- Lyrical text is enhanced by evocative watercolour illustrations in this heart-wrenching tale of love, loss and trust. Inspired by Selkie legends from around the world, this haunting story is part of the Shadows and Light series, ideal for mature readers who are looking for something a bit different.' BookTrust's Watery Reads for 8-12s

- This is a delicate story, and in the wrong hands may be experienced as a rape and false imprisonment story. However, here is it sensitively told, with the seal woman choosing to spend time with the crofter after they have sung together under the moon. [...] The emphasis on the thoughts behind each of their actions could be used in a discussion about relationships, how people have different expectations and how far do we allow our own needs and wants to dominate relationships.

The illustrations are elegant watercolours, complementing the storytelling. The stand out one for me is of two silhouette heads, placed so that they are almost heart shaped, yet looking in different directions. Pulled together by love, but their outlooks are very different.' Janet Dowling, School Library Association (65:3, Nov 2017)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Graffeg
• Release date: Apr 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781912050154

Nicola Davies

Nicola Davies is a writer, producer and presenter of radio and television, including The Really Wild Show. Amongst her many acclaimed books for children are Big Blue Whale, One Tiny Turtle, and Poo which was shortlisted for a Blue Peter Book Award.

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Reviews for The Selkie's Mate

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A young crofter who loves his life by the sea, and sings to the waves most evenings, is surprised to discover one night that his song is being answered - by the singing of a silvery seal. Night after night, the human and seal sing to one another of their loneliness, until finally the seal emerges from the sea as a woman, and gives her sealskin to the crofter for safe keeping, making him promise he will return it when she asks for it. So begins their joyful, music-filled life together, a life that eventually includes two young children. But when his selkie mate eventually does ask for her sealskin, the crofter, worried and afraid of losing his love, puts her off, giving her a gift instead. So begins the slow disintegration of their love and life, as suspicion and hostility replace love and joy. The crofter learns too late that by attempting to hang on to his selkie, he has made her loss inevitable...The third of British author Nicola Davies' Shadows and Light series, which offers original stories, in the style of folktales, that are meant to "explore the deeper, darker side of our connection with the natural world," The Selkie's Mate is an outstandingly beautiful book. The story itself is predictable, if one has read any selkie lore - I have, and quite a bit, as I love these seal/human creatures of Scots and Irish folklore - but is still immensely powerful. I appreciated Davies' poetic language, her evocative descriptions, and her ability to create nuance in her characters. I don't often sympathize with the human character that imprisons the selkie (usually a man), but Davies allows us to see his wrong actions as arising, not from malice, but from love, fear, and a lack of wisdom. There is immense poignancy in watching the eventual demise of the central love relationship here, precisely because the reader can see it coming, and can see how, in some ways, it is made inevitable by the nature of the two participants. The accompanying artwork by Claire Jenkins, who makes her debut here, is beautiful, capturing the enchantment of the sea and shore of the story. I thought her choice not to paint the faces of either crofter or selkie was a wise one, as it made the visual aspect of the book feel like a natural part of and backdrop for the story, rather than a depiction of it.Of the three titles I have read thus far in this four-book collection - this one, Mother Cary's Butter Knife and The White Hare - this is by far my favorite, and one of my rare five-star books. Moving, powerful, and beautiful, it is one I would recommend to those who love folklore and folktale-style stories, as well as to those interested in selkie lore.