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Book Cover for: The Fog Catcher's Daughter, Marianne McShane

The Fog Catcher's Daughter

Marianne McShane

A brave young girl rows out to meet her destiny in a lavishly illustrated original tale steeped in fairy lore, from a traditional Irish storyteller.

A daughter embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her father in this beautiful, eerie, and timeless original folktale. Eily and her father live in Ireland, three fields from the sea, within sight of the enchanted isle of Lisnashee. The fairy folk who live there cause mischief and harm to any who trespass, but once a year at Midsummer, Eily's father, the Fog Catcher, rows out to collect magic from the fog around the island. His sole protection is a charm tucked in his pocket, and when Eily finds the lost charm in a hedgerow after he departs, she knows at once what she must do. Haunting watercolor paintings evoke the beauty of the Irish coastline in an imaginative coming-of-age tale about honoring the past and taking courage with an open heart.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
  • Publish Date: Jun 28th, 2022
  • Pages: 48
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 11.10in - 9.50in - 0.50in - 1.20lb
  • EAN: 9781536211306
  • Recommended age: 05-08
  • Categories: Fairy Tales & Folklore - GeneralFamily - ParentsSocial Themes - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance

About the Author

Marianne McShane, a seanchaí, or traditional Irish storyteller, is the author of Rónán and the Mermaid, illustrated by Jordi Solano. She lives in Ireland.

Alan Marks is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books, including the Carnegie Medal winner Storm by Kevin Crossley-Holland. He lives in England.

Praise for this book

Solemnly told and infused with Irish folklore, this atmospheric tale feels familiar yet timeless. Watercolors in pastoral shades of green, blue, and brown ground the rather dreamy story in reality. Menacing, ghostlike fairies and roiling, white-capped waves increase the drama. . . A haunting, lyrical, original tale that leans into the magic and mystery of the Emerald Isle.

--Kirkus Reviews

Delicately worked watercolors by Marks (Daring Dozen) capture the dance of land and sea: frothy waves, shrouds of mist, and, with just a hint of menace, the icy, wraith-like fairies themselves. The closeness of the relationship between father and daughter can be read in the tenderly outlined faces of Eily and her Papa. . . Eily's intrepid rescue gives this story a big dramatic arc, and love for her father warms it.
--Publishers Weekly

Marianne McShane evokes the folklore and superstitions of old Ireland in 'The Fog Catcher's Daughter, ' an atmospheric picture book about a girl who braves an encounter with fairies to save the life of her father. . . . . In the verdant Irish setting of Alan Marks's windblown watercolor paintings, the fairies whirl like evil eddies of smoke.
--The Wall Street Journal