A Sea of Stories by Sylvia Bishop illustrated by Paddy Donnelly

Roo goes to stay with grandpa for a few days. He lives in a small cottage by the sea with a wonderful view of the beach and a nearby lighthouse. In his younger days Grandpa was a fisherman and over time he has collected all sorts of interesting objects which now fill his house. Near Grandpa's house there is a small cove. It is a place Roo loves to visit but sadly Grandpa can no longer manage to clamber down the rough path.

Roo and her Grandpa do enjoy their day - playing hide and seek. In the late afternoon they settle down inside and Grandpa begins to tell Roo the most marvellous stories, true stories, using the curious objects in his collection. He begins with a gold dubloon which could be pirate treasure. 

Over the following days Grandpa shares lots of stories but Roo keeps thinking about the Cove. Grandpa loved visiting the cove and so many of his stories are set there, plus it was his favourite place to view the sun setting. Roo is a problem solver and a kind girl. When her parents return she explains the problem and her proposed solution. 

"They parked the car in the Market Square, and went to ask for help. Before long a great crew of people had assembled, carrying spades and buckets and wood and rope and tools of all sorts and sizes."

I will leave you to imagine the next scene and also to imagine the happy ending to this story. You will need to take time on the last page because there is something important and very poignant in the illustration. 

This poignant tale about a girl’s touching relationship with her grandfather is ideal for children who are moving on from picture books. Perfect to explore the concept of the past, it beautifully celebrates the value of sharing stories and memories. The vibrant, full-page illustrations have a dynamic, painterly quality and successfully evoke the wildness and beauty of the coast, bringing the text to life.  Book Trust

The illustrations are delightful, airy and with a frothy texture evoking the soft wildness of the sea in their special cove, and the scenes with the garden and the sea are just so evocative you can smell the salt and green leaves. Little Fae

This book is from a series published by Little Tiger either called Stripes of Colour Fiction. I talked about Little Rabbit's Big Surprise earlier. I really do highly recommend this series for independent reading and also as books to read aloud in a family. A Sea of Stories is aimed at a slightly older audience of 6+. The colour illustrations are especially fabulous. Paddy Donnelly is a children's picture book illustrator and author, originally from Ireland and now based in Belgium. His art reminds me of Salvatore Rubbino and especially the book Ride the Wind. 

You can see more art from this book here. 

And here are some of his books: