📖 Overview
A young girl discovers a tiny sea serpent who arrives through her bathroom faucet one morning. She places the creature in a glass bowl and cares for it as it grows larger each day.
The story follows their developing friendship and daily interactions as the girl faces the reality of the serpent's increasing size. The illustrations depict the sea serpent's grace and playfulness while showing its gradual transformation.
The relationship between the girl and sea serpent forms the heart of this picture book, touching on themes of friendship, responsibility, and knowing when to let go. The narrative explores how love sometimes means making difficult choices.
👀 Reviews
Readers describe this story as a gentle tale about friendship and letting go. Parents note it helps children process feelings about saying goodbye while remaining hopeful.
Specific praise focuses on the watercolor illustrations, which readers call "dreamy" and "ethereal." Multiple reviewers mention using it to help children cope with moving away from friends or transitioning to new situations.
Common criticisms include:
- Story pacing feels slow for some young listeners
- Limited appeal for children seeking action or adventure
- Some find the ending unsatisfying
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads: 3.9/5 (276 ratings)
Amazon: 4.4/5 (21 ratings)
Barnes & Noble: 4/5 (4 ratings)
As one parent reviewer noted: "The illustrations carry much of the emotional weight. My 4-year-old connected with the girl's mix of joy and sadness in caring for something she couldn't keep."
📚 Similar books
The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith
A young girl discovers and raises a mysterious creature from the sea that grows larger each day until she must make a decision about its future.
Loch by Paul Zindel A teenager and her marine biologist father encounter an unknown aquatic creature in a Scottish lake and must protect it from those who wish to exploit it.
The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle A boy discovers he has inherited the power to become guardian of an island where magic and sea creatures dwell beneath the waves.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer A boy forms a deep connection with a dangerous sea creature while living in a seaside town where marine animals are feared and hunted.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown A robot washes ashore on an island and learns to communicate with the creatures there, building relationships that challenge the boundary between nature and technology.
Loch by Paul Zindel A teenager and her marine biologist father encounter an unknown aquatic creature in a Scottish lake and must protect it from those who wish to exploit it.
The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle A boy discovers he has inherited the power to become guardian of an island where magic and sea creatures dwell beneath the waves.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer A boy forms a deep connection with a dangerous sea creature while living in a seaside town where marine animals are feared and hunted.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown A robot washes ashore on an island and learns to communicate with the creatures there, building relationships that challenge the boundary between nature and technology.
🤔 Interesting facts
🌊 Author Dashka Slater was inspired to write this story after her young son asked her what would happen if a sea serpent came out of their bathroom faucet.
🐉 The book's illustrations by Catia Chien were created using mixed media, including watercolor, charcoal, and collage techniques.
🛁 In European folklore, sea serpents were often depicted as helpful creatures who could rescue sailors, unlike their more fearsome Asian dragon counterparts.
📚 The story echoes themes found in classic children's literature about letting go of wild creatures, similar to "The Trumpet of the Swan" and "Stuart Little."
💧 The bath scenes in the book accurately reflect how some marine animals can temporarily survive in fresh water due to their ability to regulate internal salt levels, though they eventually need to return to the sea.