Product Description

Illustrated in full colour throughout by Jennifer Eachus, a picture book about the sea and the creatures who live in it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156768 in Books
• Published on: 1996-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 25 pages

Review
The indefatigable Waddell (Little Mo, 1993, etc.) shines with this tale of memory-making. A mother and daughter head out into the night, on their way to the nearby sea. The town across the bay is picked out in lights, the moon low and full, the atmosphere quietly charged. They step into the dark water, splash and laugh, swim out deep. Back on shore, they are enchanted by the steady oceanic pulse - the waves are like a campfire, suspending time. Much later, they head for the sanctuary of home and sleep. Waddle again is paired with a crackerjack illustrator. Eachus's use of color pencils conjures a feeling of conspiracy between mother and daughter, although some of the drawings have a pewter finish that cuts into their warmth. Clearly, memories are made of such stuff, but the touch is light; the spare text doesn't allow for ham-handedness. (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews

A truly wonderful, beautifully illustrated book
I originally ordered "The Big Big Sea" for my daughters but, having received it, read it in bed several nights on the trot! It is such an enchanting idea that your mother should whisk you out in the dead of night to paddle in the Big Big Sea and certainly one that most children can only dream of. The illustrations by Jennifer Eachus are in a class of their own and capture the magical quality of the story perfectly. This book had me yearning for my lost childhood, I wanted to be five again. Every now and then a special book comes along that you and your children must have....this one is definitely it!!!

A wonderful book to read and re-read
Like the first reviewer, I bought this book for my daughter, but was so entranced by the simplicity of the story and the profundity of the message that I bought a second copy to keep for future years - maybe the grandchildren - when the first is too dog-eared to survive. It is a wonderfully evocative story of a moonlit adventure to the seaside, which the young girl narrating knows she will remember for the rest of her life. It is also a powerful message to both parents and children of the important things in life, and is so good to read at the end of a hard, stressed day to remind oneself of why we bother. The illustrations match the story seamlessly. They are beautifully worked, again simple, with enough detail to satisfy demanding young children but enough simplicity to allow more imaginative older readers to savour the visual as well as literary stimulation and fill in the gaps of their own stories from young childhood.

beautifully illustrated poetry
This is an amazing story of a trip to the sea which makes you want to drag your kids out of bed and across the country to any beach just to experience the magic of moonlight paddles for yourself. The illustrations of Newcastle are fantastic - you can even see the Slieve Donard hotel and the clock tower at the old railway station. The language of the book is rhythmic and fluid - you can hear the wind blowing gently across the sand dunes at Murlough Bay. Every time I read this story to my kids I want to cry because it so perfectly captures those special moments which should be part of every childhood.