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Thora and the green sea-unicorn : another half-mermaid tale -
written and illustrated by Gillian Johnson.
New York : Katherine Tegen Books, 2007, c2005.
267 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Annotations:
- Originally published: Australia : HarperCollins, 2005.
When an attempt to steal Shirley, a rare sea-unicorn, results in the sinking of their houseboat, ten-year-old Thora, her mermaid mother, and Mr. Walters stay at the estate of old friends and find a solution to the friends' financial troubles, but the would-be thief is still on their trail.
008-012.
Best Books:
- Best Children's Books of the Year, 2008 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
- Red Cedar Book Awards, 2009-2010 ; Nominee; Fiction; Canada
Reading Measurement Programs:
Accelerated Reader
Interest Level Middle Grade
Book Level 5.1
Accelerated Reader Points 6
Reviews:
- Francisca Goldsmith (Booklist, Jun. 1, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 19))
In this follow-up to Thora: A Half-Mermaid Tale (2005), Johnson’s delightful heroine enjoys more rollicking adventures. Thora, age 10 and three-quarters, lives with her full-blooded mermaid mother, amiable Mr. Walters, and her sea-unicorn, Shirley, aboard a houseboat anchored on the Thames. When the houseboat is damaged and Shirley disappears, Thora and her family decamp to imaginary Snugshire, where they stay with dear friends, the Bidets. Thora and Louella Bidet, a serious and wholly human child, become fast friends and rescue the Bidet estate from conversion into a high-powered croquet park. Johnson keeps the plot humming briskly along. Thora’s narrative, written in delightfully fractured English, combines with Johnson’s drawings, news reports, and handwritten lists, which inventively bridge gaps in the story. Although there’s no need for readers to be familiar with Thora before picking up this sequel, those who haven’t yet read the first book will want it after finishing this one. All readers will eagerly hope for a third installment, which seems promised in the closing passages. Grades 3-5Sue Reichard (Children's Literature)
This clever stand-alone sequel provides another adventure with Thora, the half-mermaid, half-human girl. In this book, Thora must help her best friend, Shirley, a beautiful, small green sea-unicorn. Once rescued by Thora’s family, Shirley now lives with them on a houseboat in London. Frequently, they sail the Thames together. Trouble begins when Shirley is noticed by Pamela Poutine. Poutine is a smuggler and wants to capture Shirley to sell her. Readers will enjoy the adventure and characters of the book. The Canadian roots of the author are evident in the text and offer insights into the differences in the English language. This volume will be popular with lovers of fantasy and unicorns. 2007, Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 8 to 12.Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 7))
This frothy sequel to Thora: A Half-Mermaid Tale (2005) continues the whimsical adventures of Thora, aged 10 ¾, her mermaid mum, human caretaker Mr. Walters, Cosmo the peacock and beautiful sea-unicorn Shirley. Thora is able to maneuver around London because, being only half mermaid, she has legs and feet, albeit purple and scaly ones. The reason for her bizarre hairstyle is to cover a blowhole. Dreadful human-wannabe Pamela P. Poutine spies the magical, intelligent, tiny Shirley and plots to kidnap her for the sinister sea-oddity collector Mr. Oto. Thora and her entourage go to an English estate and become involved in making it a profitable venture for young Louella and her dad. Thora has no formal education so her speech is often difficult to decipher, since she uses words that sound like the right ones but are not. The whole romp reminds one of Roald Dahl and Eva Ibbotson. Line drawings reminiscent of Quentin Blake add a tremendous amount to the overall eccentricity of this quick, amusing frolic. Highly recommended. 2007, Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, 288p, $15.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 12. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Subjects:
- Mermaids Juvenile fiction.
Imaginary creatures Juvenile fiction.
Wildlife smuggling Juvenile fiction.
Magic Juvenile fiction.
Mermaids Fiction.
Imaginary creatures Fiction.
Wildlife smuggling Fiction.
Magic Fiction.
Humorous stories.
England Juvenile fiction.
England Fiction.
Humorous fiction.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PZ7.J631775 Thg 2007 |
2006028953 |
[Fic] |
9780060743819 (trade bdg. : alk. paper) 0060743816 (trade bdg. : alk. paper) 9780060743826 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 0060743824 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) |