It is a fine depiction of British Columbia coastal life, but it also evokes warm feelings of family. Island in the Salish Sea would be a good addition to a public or primary school library collection for a quiet read-aloud as an introduction to summer. Here, two pairs of hands, one pair veined and slightly wrinkled, the other clearly younger, plumper, fill the page as the pair work together to make a rubbing from the rock with soft paper and sticks of charcoal.
The detail of five juicy blackberries lying alongside gleaming jam jars and a close-up of calcified shells and harpoon head are captivating, but my favourite spread is the one which accompanies the outing to “one of the other islands” to find petroglyphs. Soft watercolour illustrations depict the scenes with colour and light. Leslie Redhead captures the loving relationship between a vigorous middle-aged woman and the pigtailed granddaughter who is being taught so much so gently. This environment is obviously familiar territory for McFarlane as she tells about it in such warm detail. They hunted seals and whales in these waters.” She tells me to “It’s probably a piece of a harpoon blade. I find a piece of bone with sharp edges in the heap of white shells. One day when we are clamming, Gran shows me a midden. There is a reverent tone in the descriptions of watching a First Nations artisan at work or learning about the island long ago. The book is not about plot it is about mood.
Time unspools with activities such as picking fresh peas from the garden, riding bikes to get ice cream, gathering blackberries for jam. Sometimes I search for sea cucumbers andĭecorator crabs in the tide pools, or we eat clams and roast Sometimes I build forts out of driftwood tangles or explore the The lazy routines of enjoying the water and the surrounding landscape are described perfectly.Įvery day is a beach day, and every day is different. 16, December 21, 2012)Ī young girl narrates the details of a much-anticipated annual trip to spend time with Grandma at her “island cabin on the Salish Sea”*. Island in the Salish Sea is another anthology of thoughtful West Coast moments from veteran author McFarlane who also authored Waiting for the Whales (Vol.
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