GREYLING
Illustrated by William Stobbs (World edition)
Illustrated by David Ray (Philomel edition)
World publishing, 1968, Philomel 1968, 1991
ISBN# LC 68-28481 World hardcover (Stobbs)
ISBN#529-00542-5 Collins World hardcover (Stobbs)
ISBN#370-01504-5 William Collins World hardcover (Stobbs)
ISBN#0-399-22262-6 Philomel hardcover (Ray)
ISBN#0-590-46534-1 Scholastic paperback (Ray)

This is the story of a selchie, human on land and seal in the sea, who is adopted by a fisherman and his childless wife. They raise the boy, Greyling, and keep him from the sea, fearing that if he turned back into a seal he would never return. And then one fateful day, Greyling dives into the sea to save his father from a storm (see the plot for The Boy Who Had Wings!) I began the book one night while nursing my new baby, Heidi, thinking about the time she'd be old enough to leave home. Much of the story was written in my head and only got down on paper in the day during her nap times. English illustrator William Stobbs illustrations are strong and in the storytelling tradition of the time. Ray's modern--even post modern--illustrations are more rounded, even plastic in feeling. The Ray illustrations were used as a basis for a short film which I narrated. There is a British edition of the Stobbs illustrated book, and an Afrikaans edition called "Grysling." The Ray edition won the Ann Izard Storyteller's Choice Award. The book has been a storyteller's favorite since it first came out.

       Out of print.

What reviewers have said: "The sound of the sea sweeps viewers into Jane Yolen's tale of a selchie child... David Ray's beautiful paintings complement it perfectly ... with crisp three-dimensional waves and a rich palette of color. The haunting background music adds the final touch." -- School Library Journal.

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