I don’t often read children’s books, but I’m a sucker for a selkie story. This fun little book is set in the Shetland Islands and based on their folk tales and customs.
There is a terrible storm on the night that the Hendersson family hears a knock on the door. A stranger arrives, Finn Learson, who seems to be a sailor from a wrecked ship in the bay. The Hendersson’s dog Tam growls at him, but the family takes him in.
That night, young Robbie Hendersson hears someone playing his father’s fiddle. It is making strange music that he’s never heard before. He goes to look and sees Finn Learson playing it. Tam is still growling, but Finn stares at him as if doing magic and Tam stops.
Robbie begins to suspect that Finn is a selkie. He remembers his grandfather’s tales of the selkie king, who lures girls away undersea to marry him and how they drown when they try to leave. He is afraid that Finn is after his sister, Elspeth. But no one believes him.
Robbie finally finds someone to help him against the selkie. But he’s almost as afraid of his helper as he is of Finn.
This book is probably meant for children around 8-12, and I think they would enjoy it, especially if they are interested in old stories. I liked how it managed to incorporate other old customs of the Shetlands.
Just as a side note, there was a Scottish singer named Jean Redpath. As a young woman I had several of her albums, and I believe it was a song she sang, “Lassie Wi’ a Yellow Coatie,” that referred to a but and ben. I had no idea what one was until I read this book, some fifty years after encountering the term.
whatmeread 
My dad’s family had a wee but and ben up in the Highlands – long gone by my time sadly! If you ever get to go to a but and ben, you must remember to have a wee deoch-an-dorus afore ye gang… 😉
A who what? Ah, looked it up. I will!
😂You’re now fluent in Scots!
🙂
This is all great!!
Yes, a good one!