I must say, "The Sign of the Sea Horse: A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts."(Picture Puffin) has got to be one of the most enjoyble stories I have had the pleasure of reading to my two children. Heck, even if I didn't have kids I would still enjoy this book. We have borrowed this book from the library so many times you could probably get a DNA profile of my family. We have decided to buy this book and I know we will enjoy it for many years. The story of Pearl Trout, her brother Finneus, Their Father, Pearl's Soldier crab boyfriend Bert, bad guy Gropmund Grouper and the rest is a timeless tale of greed, deceit, larceny and of course, bravery in the highest form. And the fact that the story is told in verse is absolutely inspired. In this way it makes the reading fun and sparks the imagination of the reader and even listeners. Many is the time that I have used "voices" to personalize each character. Pearl and Bert (Nell and Dudley Do-Right), Finneus (affable Irish rogue), Gropmumd (tough, gangster type). Even the Moray Eel that is ready to make Pearl his snack (smooth talking villian). My youngest son is 12 years but has the mental capacity of a 5 year old and he loves this story. It keeps him enthralled and brings out the happiness and laughter that only a child can exude. He knows each character and listens intently to the story everytime. If I try to stray even slightly from the written line he brings me back on track and tells me what I should be saying. And the artwork on each page is awesome. He loves to look at these pictures and point out each character and the surrounding scene. Many is the time we have found something we didn't see before.I am grateful to this book and it's author Graeme Base for giving me an opportunity such as this to help expand my son's capabilities. The story of the barrels of poison that mysteriously appear in the reef and does it's horrific damage to that ecosystem is one in which we all need to learn from as it teaches us that when we throw something out of our eco-area we are probably helping to destroy another species area and it is not always possibly for them to find a new home as the characters in this story did. Thank you again and good reading to you all.
