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Setsuko and the Song of the Sea
Book Review
When the fish and animals are surrounded by bottles and bags I felt sad
I liked reading this book and looking at all the pictures. It is a story about a girl who loves the ocean and swimming.
The little girl, Setsuko, makes friends with a enormous whale and they have lots and fun playing. I loved all the pictures of her diving down and spotting all the different fish and animals.
After looking reading it a few times I noticed a lot of the things in the sea were actually rubbish. All the fish and animals are surrounded by bottles and bags, this made me feel sad.
At the end of the book the whale has to go back to his friends and he leaves Setsuko with a beautiful song. She and her friends then start collecting all the rubbish off the beach. This made me feel happy.
This book is set in Japan and has lots of Japanese writing on each page, which I liked looking at too.
Jasper’s Mum says: This was such a gorgeous book and I loved reading with all of my children (aged 18 months, 4 and 7 years old).
About the Book
This beautifully illustrated story for children, set in Japan, has a message about community and environmental responsibility and can be enjoyed by children of all ages.
Written by Fiona Baker with pictures by Howard Gray and Japanese text by Hideaki Matsuya 松矢英晶 this special book is published by indie publisher Tiny Tree Books.
Setsuko loves the sea. She swims its shallows. She dives its depths. But she worries that her friends have chosen to abandon her way of life. Then she meets a whale who also fears he is the last of his kind. In return for giving him hope, he gifts her a song which she uses to remind people of the beauty of the ocean. Setsuko took the song and made it her own. They played together from the first crisp light of morning until the setting of the evening sun. Everyone who heard Setsuko’s song was filled with the wonder of the sea. They remembered the beauty and mystery of the ocean.
Reviewer Profile
Jasper, 4
- Reviews: 7
- Likes: swimming, biking and building with Lego
- Dislikes: wasps and bacon
- Favourite Book: Fantastic Mister Fox by Roald Dahl
- Favourite Song: The Ballard of Davy Crockett by Fess Parker
- Favourite Film: Octonauts and the Caves of Sac Actun
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