SONG OF THE SEA

Ben and his silent younger sister, Saoirse, find themselves on an extraordinary journey.

Stills and some added bits of art reproduce the plot of Moore’s lovely, hand-drawn 2014 animated film, adding an introductory backstory about the children’s selkie mother. Six-year-old Saoirse doesn’t speak, but she can produce a tune from the spiral seashell given to Ben by their mother, calling forth magical lights. As the siblings trek back from the city to their lighthouse home, they must defend themselves against Macha, the Owl Witch, and recover their mother’s selkie coat in order to save themselves, their family, and the faeries. Unattributed lines from Yeats’ “The Stolen Child” set the mood of magic and danger at the intersection of human and faerie. The rich palette in browns, blues, and greens, plus design elements hinting of swirls of Celtic knots and spirals, contributes to the sense of an enchanted countryside. The light-skinned children are sweetly drawn, with round faces, rosy cheeks, and large eyes. Less might have been more here: The narrative, carried by action and dialogue from the original script, has a sense of busyness that can overwhelm the awe and humor of the plot. Even so, the echoes of ancient tales reenacted by contemporary children in a family struggling with loss and reconciliation offer something for thoughtful adventurers. A short tale about a couple who adopt a seal child is appended as a bonus.

A bit of Celtic charm.