The Sign of the Seahorse: a Tale of Greed & High Adventure in Two Acts - Softcover

Graeme Base

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140544011 ISBN 13: 9780140544015

Publisher: Puffin / Penguin Books, 1996

Synopsis

Romance, mystery and intrigue revolve around the Seahorse Cafe, where the beautiful Pearl Trout falls in love with Corporal Bert the Soldiercrab. But Reeftown is in danger, and soon Pearl, Bert, and Pearl

About this title

About the Author:

Graeme Base is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books. Animalia received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986, and it has achieved classic status with worldwide sales of more than two million copies. Base’s most recent picture book, The Water Hole, an ingenious fusion of counting book, puzzle book, storybook and artbook, has been published in Australia, the USA, Canada, Italy, France, Denmark and the UK. Base lives in Melbourne with his artist wife Robyn and their three children.

From Publishers Weekly:

As the curtain rises on this Gilbert and Sullivan-like coral reef tale, the beautiful Pearl Trout ("cheerful, quick and bright") and dashing Corporal Bert of the Soldiercrabs ("a clipped mustache, two eyes, eight boots, one glove") are falling in love. But the amorous pair must part, as Bert and the Crab Army leave Reeftown to investigate the source of the pollution that is poisoning the area. The problem lies with the nefarious real estate schemes of the Grouper and his henchfish; ultimately, justice is meted out and the lovers are happily reunited. In Base's exemplary verse, perfect scansion and witty rhymes ("the legal licensee" paired with "a dollar ninety-three") blend to create a comic saga of Brobdingnagian proportions. Likewise, the dynamic, radiantly colored illustrations are jam-packed with droll underwater details--all that's missing in this merry marine metropolis is the Little Mermaid. Despite the book's evident craft, however, youngsters may have difficulty here: the tale is lengthy for a picture-book audience, and the artwork's largesse might prove overwhelming. The verse makes splendid read-aloud material, however; nightly recitations of the various scenes should keep both reader and audience immensely entertained. All ages.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin / Penguin Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0140544011
• ISBN 13: 9780140544015
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32