The Sea King

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

In return for saving a talking eagle’s life, the king of a mythical
kingdom is rewarded with two enchanted coffers, which he must open—but
only under certain conditions. Succumbing to curiosity, he does not
comply. His disobedience creates a situation that can be resolved only
by the intervention of the Morskoi Tsar, the Russian king of the sea.

The Morskoi Tsar tricks the human king into giving up his newborn son
in exchange for the solution to his problem. The resolution of the story
involves the son, as a grown man, and the sea king’s eldest daughter.

There are several more conventional fairy-tale themes in this picture
book, and therein lies its problem. Too many threads are pulled from
folklore and fairy tales from all over the world, giving The Sea King a
patched-together feeling. Had several been left out, the story would be
less confusing, and readers could focus on a more cohesive plot.

This weakness—too much going on—also detracts from the writing,
which in a few instances transcends standard formulaic fairy-tale
narrative and achieves an idiosyncratic style that is quite engaging.
Also, the illustrations are compelling—rich primary colours in large
blocks are complemented by large, almost comic-book-like figures.
Unfortunately, these positive aspects do not make up for the stew of
disparate elements. Not a first-choice purchase.