My thanks to Nimbus Publishing for a temporary digital edition of ‘The Book of Selkie’ written and illustrated by Briana Corr Scott in exchange for an honest review. It is listed for publication in the U.K. in mid October.

“Oh to be a Selkie, 
And live between two worlds 
Half your days spent as a seal, 
And the other half, a girl...”

This is a delightful children’s book about the life of a Selkie told in simple lyrical verse followed by an account of the original Selkie legend. It is intended for readers 3-7 years old.

This is a Paper Doll Book and comes with a paper doll, clothes, and a seal. This sounds delightful and I can imagine having the doll and seal paper dolls will provide opportunities for play alongside listening to this enchanting tale.

Briana Corr Scott’s art is beautiful with a delicate use of colours, focusing on muted greys and greens.

I know that I would have adored this as a child as I loved tales of sea lore and mermaids.

Overall, a stunning book sure to delight young readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly I knew I’d like this one from the start. The illustrations (even on the cover) are gorgeous. The text is lyrical and flows beautifully. This whole book was stunning. I also enjoyed the extra pages of history at the end. This is a great picture book, but I’d absolutely love to see it adapted as a middle grade novel.

I have more to say, but I'm not sure how to articulate it right now so perhaps I'll come back to this review later.

Beautifully written and illustrated book, lovely message for children as well! any child who enjoys magical things will enjoy this, thank you netgalley for this copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting little book! I was not familiar with the story of the seal folk (selkie), and here we are told their story in the most wonderful way -through prose.
I would recommend not only for kids but to anyone interested in the theme.

I first learned of selkie's recently in a novel by Regina McBride that I adored. I loved this children's work that describes the old lore; without any of the darker aspects to the legend that might be scary for young eyes. The illustrations here are lovely and whimsical.

This gorgeously illustrated book is an excellent choice for people who are interested in Selkie lore, and for those who are interested in folklore in general. The story is very simple, and the text poetically describes the Selkie legend with few flourishes and minimal detail, but the gorgeous art more than makes up for this for a reader who is interested in a more story-driven approach. This book summarizes the legend well, and provides additional detail with notes in the back.

The notes speak as if Selkies are real, and this isn't my personal preference, just as I would not encourage a child to believe in Santa Claus. However, someone can simply read this as a playful flourish, and it fits with this book's charming and unique appeal. Also, even though my digital review copy did not include images of them, this book will include a paper doll, clothes, and a seal. I think that this is a delightful idea, since paper doll books are mostly a thing of the past, and are certainly difficult to buy used. I'm sure that kids will love this.

This book can also be a lot of fun for adults. The artwork is amazing, and since there are very few books and materials related to Selkie lore, this will be an exciting find for anyone who loves Selkies. I have a friend who does, and every few years, when I happen to encounter something Selkie-related in popular culture, I get excited and think of her. This was one of those occasions, and I will definitely keep this in mind as a future gift for her.

A feast for children who love all the magical beings that live underwater! The seal-girl or Selkie is a seal and also a girl. The story tells us where she lives as a seal and what she does when she turns into a girl on the land. I feel the story maybe difficult for kids to understand and would require parents to explain. The illustrations are beautiful and eye-pleasing.

Finished reading this lovely book I few minutes. I loved the verse format and the little backstory. It talks about the Selkie and her way of life. A short and sweet story. I loved the illustrations too!

The booknof Selkie introduces the tales of a half seal half girl. This was my first time hearing the legend. I didn't find the book itself very interesting, but the artwork was beautiful.

The illustrations in this book were gorgeous. And I haven't seen a paper doll book in ages. The short poems add to the content in addition to the lovely history lesson at the end. I greatly enjoyed this story!

A lovely children's book with pretty artwork. The cadence of the poems is well done and pleasant to read. I enjoy that the Legend of the Selkie is included at the end of the book for a wonderful bit of background.

The Book of Selkie is a delightful book that I will be getting a hardback version of to share with my children and keep as part of an ever growing collection of books that champion the lore of the Isles.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Book of Selkie is an illustrated book about mythical selkie creatures and their adventures on land and in sea. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan, as the lack of story left me uninterested. I thought the use of poetry was a great idea to make the description of Selkie more interesting and whimsical, but this sadly didn’t make an impression on me either. Despite its flaws, I really did love the art. The illustrations where beautifully coloured and perfectly matched the whimsical tone of the book.

This is a very lovely poem with beautiful illustrations. I find it cute and actually thought that it is something tragic but it doesn't disappoint. I like it. A must read for readers of all ages.

Great rhythmic story about a "Selkie" a mythological creature that is half human and half seal of Celtic origins, Beautifully illustrated and captures the imaginations of readers and leaves them pondering, have I seen a selkie? With it rooted in mythology, a great suggestion for the readers who love mermaids. I would incorporate this as a read aloud to my young students when talking about marine animals and discovering the cultures of coastal regions.

Oh to be a Selkie..

This book is a beautiful children’s rendition of ancient tales and folklore. I immediately found myself entranced with the artwork. Brianna Corr Scott shows us through images and poetry the enchanting double lives lived by the Selkies, both in human and seal form. I read this to my 8 year old daughter, who immediately asked me if we could go to the place in the pictures, and then asked if she could one day be a Selkie herself.

I think my favorite part, as a mom who loves to incorporate folklore and mythology into our daily reading routine, was The Legend of the Selkie at the end of the book that shows the history of the story. It added so much interest for me, as an adult, and my daughter.

I would easily buy this book for my bookshelf, not only too have the beautiful artwork, but for the legend behind the story.

Kid approved. Mom approved.

A common story from the people of the countries that border the North Sea from Iceland to Norway, Ireland and the British Isles.
These various tales are brought together by the author here, in this simple story that captures the essence of the Selkie.
Beautifully illustrated and with four line text segments the book is a delight to read and share with a young child.

I loved the presentation and the green palette given to the illustrations and the flowing drawing reminiscent of the world Selkie exist between land and sea.

It is also good that the strength of folk lore is placed out there to show the range of the story and the magic these myths create.

In a world of bad news and conflicting motivations it is good to embrace a simple reality born out of humans close relationship with the sea. The joy of the mystery of rescued sailors and the possibility of mermaids and the Selkie is an enduring quality of our rich tradition of oral storytelling.

'The Book of Selkie' is a beautiful and magical book about a seal-girl (selkie). The illustrations are gorgeous and text is written in poem describing the life of the legendary selkie. This book would be perfect for children ages 4-6 that are interested in magical things!

Thank you NetGalley and Nimbus Publishing for providing this ARC.

What a fun book! I love that it’s written in verse, and has the legend in the back with a map! The illustrations are beautiful too! I want to get this for my niece as a gift.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I love mythological creatures, but rarely find stories about selkies. This was a little gem that included a beautifully illustrated story of a selkie, as well as the traditional legend of the selkie.

I didn't really know what to expect from this when I clicked 'download' on it, but it certainly has to go down as a quite charming success. Selkies, or seal-people, are the North Sea's variant on the mermaid, being a creature that can slip into a seal costume and be a seal, or come on shore and act pretty much as a human can. This book demonstrates episodes in the existence of one such young woman, so we see around her home, with its washing line and its subterranean, beaver's lodge-like entrance, we see her eating alongside some seal friends, and we see her fantastical life, including making sweaters she's knitted out of fog. Er, yes. So while I'm not convinced by this, I put it on record that this is a really attractive book, with the watercolour art making the selkie and her landscapes gorgeous and then some, and the text in its simple ABAB rhyming verses is also a hit. It's not a "story", even if the non-fiction coda says it is, as it's too episodic and narrative-free, and it is a little short and perhaps inconsequential, but it is definitely an eye-catching product. We're supposed to be smitten by selkies, kelpies and merfolk – well I was by this book about just one of them, so it's most certainly plausible. Four and a half stars.