The Fisherwoman - Hardcover

Grade 2-5-- Maud, a poor fisherwoman, dreams of having beautiful clothes and mingling with the rich who live in the mansion above her village. One night, her catch includes an old, sea-encrusted vase that becomes the vehicle for realizing her dream--growing flowers that provide her with an elegant hat, shoes, and dress. Haughty in her new finery, Maud is invited to a garden party at the mansion, where her initial pleasure is spoiled by the other guests' greed and cruelty. Fleeing the falseness, she returns to her humble home to find the alien plant withered and lifeless. The next day, she makes a sail for her boat from the dress and sets out to fish once again, dropping the vase overboard. Carter's writing is elegantly understated--a superb complement to the simple yet powerful watercolors. At times verging on the abstract, Brierley's skewed perspectives, featureless faces, and hazy palette are just right for the mythical, timeless tone of the story. Thus, text and pictures work in complete harmony to create a modern fable that is fresh and a bit different. Brierley's illustrations are especially notable--and curiously intriguing--as they invite viewers to step out of time and into the story. --Linda Boyles, Alachua County Lib . District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Maud is a scavenger who lives alone by the sea, always wishing she could have a glimpse of the "rich and famous people who lived behind the great gates of the mansion above the village." One day her scavenging turns up a vase that has magical powers, and Maud gets her wish. She soon realizes, however, that there is an ugly side to the beautiful people's lives. The disenchanted fisherwoman runs home, returns to her old pursuits and drops the vase into the sea. Brierley's impressionistic illustrations are executed with a gentle hand: white-washed buildings, a pale blue sea and shadowy outlines of characters other than Maud. The perspective changes as often as the tide, from high in the clouds to sea level, and--though it deals with themes not often found in picture books--the spare narrative is told in evocative, poetic language. Although Carter's message is worthwhile, readers may believe that her sophisticated narrative leaves too many unanswered questions. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.