I picked up this little novel to read to my kiddos on the recommendation of a friend (hi, Kerin!). It is the story of a brother and sister in Scotland who happen upon a large eggish sort of thing on the beach. They have no idea what it is, but decide to take it home and see what hatches out of it. Because of the title of the book, I am not giving anything away by revealing that the egg does indeed hatch what they soon discover is the water horse. Grandfather, affectionately known as Grumble, is the only one who knows anything about this odd creature and he and Mother are soon let in on the secret. Dilemnas arrive over the care of the beastie. What does it eat? How big will it grow? How can it be cared for in the most natural way possible without anyone who might harm it finding out?
Mr. King-Smith has written a fun story both boys and girls will enjoy. The characters are lovable, the tale is humorous, and let’s face it – who isn’t curious about an old monster legend?
This book has recently been made into a movie. I am currently about 2/3 of the way done watching it with my girls. Just as a warning – it is one of those that is quite a bit different from the book. So my advice, as always, is to read the book first!
p.s. I would also like to shout out a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister Amy who started this blog. Love you, sis!
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May 8th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Leah, I’m so glad to see you writing about The Water Horse! I saw it at the theater and loved it, a wonderful family movie.
It would have been nice to have read the book first, but I would never have seen the book had there not been a movie. You’re right – the movie is VERY different from the book, but I still enjoyed the book. Thanks for recommending this story.