The Sea Tiger
Victoria Turnbull
Templar Publishing
There are echoes of Sendak in this glorious, painterly picture book from debut artist Victoria Turnbull and what a fantastic debut it is.
Right from the front endpapers we feel the pull of the ocean as it takes us the readers, along with the lone swimmer, down to its murky depths where we meet the Sea Tiger. He is merboy Oscar’s best and only friend and the narrator of this eloquent story.
We follow them on a journey of exploration and adventure to magical places with flying trapezes,
dizzying carousels and even the star-studded surface of the sea.
But, as that wise tiger knows, he needs to loosen the ties of this all encompassing relationship so that Oscar can open himself up to the possibilities of new friendships.
Discovery, inclusivity/exclusivity, loving and letting go are some of the themes of the story.
Every turn of the page brings visual wonders. The sepia, teal and tan tones are so seductive and somehow serve to imbue the whole thing with a dreamlike quality; one can almost feel oneself drifting gently through the ocean depths along with Oscar and the Sea Tiger.
Where will this exciting artist go next? I cannot wait to see.
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