Scotland: Nessie, Books, and Dancing!
Before I visited Scotland last month, I grabbed two children's books about the fine country. I wanted to be as prepared as possible for a Nessie sighting. Alas, no monster was seen. However, I discovered these two great books!
The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith
King-Smith is the author of Babe: The Gallant Pig. That book, as well as The Water Horse, were both made in to feature films. His real name was Ronald Gordon King-Smith and at the end of his life in 2011, he was one of the most prolific writers of children's literature in the UK, penning well over 100 books. He was a farmer for over 20 years which may explain why a lot of his books center around animals.
The Water Horse, a short chapter book, tells the story of two children, Kirstie and Angus find a mysterious egg after a storm in March of 1930. They bring it home where their grandfather explains that he knows just what it is...the mythical creature that is supposed to live in the depths of the lochs of Scotland. They nurture the young water horse until he is too big to fit in their yard. Eventually they move the water horse to Loch Ness, where the famous sightings start to take place. It is a magical, brief, tale that explains a pretty normal beginning to a pretty extraordinary legend.
The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating by A.W. Flaherty, illustrated by Scott Magoon
This twist on the legendary Nessie story, involves a young girl traveling from the US to Scotland in a great ship. Along the way, Katerina-Elizabeth doesn't want to eat the oatmeal she is given every day. So she does what every picky eater might do, she throws it overboard. However, as luck would have it, a tiny sea worm gobbles up the oatmeal and starts to grow. He loves the oatmeal so much, he follows the ship and every morning when Katerina-Elizabeth throws her oatmeal over-board, he is waiting for a breakfast treat.
Eventually, he grows to a massive size and Katerina-Elizabeth is very much aware of his existence. When Katerina's trip ends as she arrives in Scotland, the "worm" looks all over Scotland for more oatmeal. As the book says, "Luckily, oatmeal is the national breakfast of Scotland, as as many Scottish children hate it as American ones do." Landing in Loch Ness, the worm roams around the lake eating all the tossed oatmeal. That is where he spends the rest of his days, helping the picky eaters of Scotland get rid of their breakfast.
The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith
King-Smith is the author of Babe: The Gallant Pig. That book, as well as The Water Horse, were both made in to feature films. His real name was Ronald Gordon King-Smith and at the end of his life in 2011, he was one of the most prolific writers of children's literature in the UK, penning well over 100 books. He was a farmer for over 20 years which may explain why a lot of his books center around animals.
The Water Horse, a short chapter book, tells the story of two children, Kirstie and Angus find a mysterious egg after a storm in March of 1930. They bring it home where their grandfather explains that he knows just what it is...the mythical creature that is supposed to live in the depths of the lochs of Scotland. They nurture the young water horse until he is too big to fit in their yard. Eventually they move the water horse to Loch Ness, where the famous sightings start to take place. It is a magical, brief, tale that explains a pretty normal beginning to a pretty extraordinary legend.
The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating by A.W. Flaherty, illustrated by Scott MagoonThis twist on the legendary Nessie story, involves a young girl traveling from the US to Scotland in a great ship. Along the way, Katerina-Elizabeth doesn't want to eat the oatmeal she is given every day. So she does what every picky eater might do, she throws it overboard. However, as luck would have it, a tiny sea worm gobbles up the oatmeal and starts to grow. He loves the oatmeal so much, he follows the ship and every morning when Katerina-Elizabeth throws her oatmeal over-board, he is waiting for a breakfast treat.
Eventually, he grows to a massive size and Katerina-Elizabeth is very much aware of his existence. When Katerina's trip ends as she arrives in Scotland, the "worm" looks all over Scotland for more oatmeal. As the book says, "Luckily, oatmeal is the national breakfast of Scotland, as as many Scottish children hate it as American ones do." Landing in Loch Ness, the worm roams around the lake eating all the tossed oatmeal. That is where he spends the rest of his days, helping the picky eaters of Scotland get rid of their breakfast.
 |
| Loch Ness...no Nessie |
 |
We will find him next time. Assuming it's a him
ReplyDelete