Briana Corr Scott

If you sing the 12 days of Christmas at any time, then you know all the words that are in the story. What makes this story unique one is the type of illustrations and to the way they choose to illustrate it. The first through fourth days are typical and while one would expect five to show rings, it shows them in a nest. Then if one goes to the back of the book, there is history where it is believed that the five rings were actually the rings on a pheasant or yellow rings on finches. Little things like this happen for the rest of the book. For example 10 Lords of Leaping are picture of rabbits and my favorite, the drummers are woodpecker ‘s. This book is well done in a different way that looks at history of this holiday song.… (mehr)

A young girl dreams of Sable Island in this poetic picture-book from Nova Scotia-based artist and paper doll maker Briana Corr Scott, exploring shore and sand dune, watching seals and meeting some of the island horses, and visiting shipwrecks and buried buildings. The narrative concludes with a depiction of the girl, her dream coming to an end, while the back matter gives more information about the island, and its flora and fauna. Also included are a paper doll of the girl, and of one of the horses, along with clothing for the girl...

Published in 2019, She Dreams of Sable Island: A Paper Doll Book was Scott's first book, followed by The Book of Selkie: A Paper Doll Book in 2020. The latter served as my introduction to her work, and I found it so lovely that I sought out other books from the artist, who also produces paper doll kits, sold through her website. A remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia that is now one of Canada's national parks, Sable Island is home to a population of wild horses that were the subject of a children's letter-writing campaign, in the 1960s - see Jamie Bastedo's Free as the Wind: Saving the Horses of Sable Island - so it makes sense to me that a child might dream of it. The rhyming text here is simple but evocative, and the accompanying artwork just beautiful. The paper doll provides a wonderful interactive element, for imaginative young children. Recommended to young dreamers, paper doll lovers, and picture-book readers in the market for beautiful, dreamy tales.… (mehr)

Author/illustrator and paper doll creator Briana Corr Scott explores the world of selkies - the mythological seal folk of Scottish and other Northern Atlantic lore, said to be able to shed their skin and assume human form - in this lovely, poetic book. The rhyming text describes one selkie girl's home, both above and below the water, the seaside activities she enjoys when on land, the delicious food she prepares, and the longing that eventually takes her back to the wild sea. Included at the rear is a paper doll of the selkie, in both human and seal form, and clothing to be cut out and used with the human doll...

Scott is based in Dartmouth, Novia Scotia, and The Book of Selkie: A Paper Doll Book was released by Nimbus Publishing, a regional Canadian press based in Halifax, and specializing in titles relevant to the Atlantic Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. It's easy to see how this one fits the bill, given the Atlantic setting and seaside theme, beautifully captured in the artwork. As someone who loves selkie lore, I have been meaning to track it down since seeing it reviewed online by a friend, and I am glad that I finally have! The simple text is gentle and appealing, the artwork just gorgeous, and the paper dolls a lovely, interactive element. I appreciated the brief afterword, which gives more information about traditional selkie lore, but I also liked the fact that this is an original work of fantasy, rather than a retelling of a folktale. Readers interested in other original selkie stories might consider titles like Andrea Spalding's Seal Song, Jane Yolen's Greyling, or Chardi Christian's The Selkie and the Fisherman. Those seeking traditional tales might like to examine picture-books like Mordicai Gerstein's The Seal Mother, or collections such as Duncan Williamson's Tales of the Seal People: Scottish Folk Tales. For my own part, I will definitely be seeking out more of Briana Corr Scott's work, and I recommend this one to young selkie lovers, picture-book readers who enjoy tales of fantastic creatures, and paper doll lovers.… (mehr)

‘’Οh, to be a selkie,
And live between two worlds
Half your days spent as a seal,
And the other half, a girl....’’

For me, the myth of the selkie embodies the unique character of the Northern Sea. The mentality and tradition and history of the countries that cherish their myths and customs like a beloved member of a marvellous family. Traditions that hover between the real and the supernatural, the serene green and the wild waves of the shores, the song of the sea and the wind, the rocks and the valleys. And somewhere, over the breeze and the sound of the waves, we might hear the selkie lullaby…

This beautiful book depicts an ‘’ordinary’’ year of the selkie from the transformation to a woman to her need to return to the sea. In pictures of unique beauty by Briana Corr Scott, her relationship with the animals, her knitting, the food she cooks, the songs she sings come alive. In Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands, the selkie myth lives on and on...

‘’But every now and then she hears
A voice from deep inside
It calls her back onto the land
The human in her cries.’’

Many thanks to Nimbus Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/… (mehr)