Reviews:
'Timeless and heart-warming, this tale speaks of love, sacrifice and hope. Doyles' pitch-perfect writing pull us through the story with gentle, soothing tones inspiring the reader to look deeper, go further. Great care and consideration is given to depicting a vignette of the life of this small island girl. Using clear, concise language, he weaves the story with just the right amount of drama and nuance and conveys a message that everything will be all right. The stunning pictures by Whitson lend mood and atmosphere, with the use of light and colour adapting to each page. The effect is simply magical. This is a wonder of a book; perfectly illustrated and loving told; one you will want to read and share again and again.' Mary Esther Judy, Children's Bookseller
'This collaboration between Doyle and Whitson has produced a beautiful picturebook, accessible to all readers yet sophisticated enough to function on a number of meaningful levels. Themes of love and family abound in Doyle’s delicate prose that is emotive yet never sentimental. The story is wonderfully paced and resonates with the simplicity and power of a fable. Andrew Whitson’s illustrations not only support Malachy Doyle’s text, they elevate and enrich the story. His use of colour and the sense of movement captured in his figures is not only precise but vibrant and exhilarating. [...] This is a timeless and enchanting fable about the power of faith, the price of sacrifice, and the joy of hope which will be read endlessly by children and adults alike.' Children's Books Ireland
'Molly’s sense of fear and isolation is brilliantly portrayed on a double page spread which sees her on top of sand dunes, so tiny against the backdrop of the ocean. The illustrations throughout by Andrew Whitson are inspirational, warm and mellow, yet capturing the strength of the sea.' Mary Arrigan, Irish Examiner
‘Malachy Doyle lives on an island off the coast of Donegal and his illustrator, Andrew Whitson, is also from the north of Ireland. Together they have produced a picture book full of emotion and atmosphere set in an Irish fishing village. Molly wakes up one night and realises that her father is missing. She knows he’s out on his fishing boat and there’s a storm brewing. But Molly has a plan. And maybe she can help bring her father home safely. A book about faith and hope.' Irish Independent
Age 5-7 | Paperback | 32 pages | 250 x 250mm | Publication June 2018
Paperback ISBN 9781912050130 | Hardback ISBN 9781912654451
Molly wakes one morning to find her house empty. Her father has been out fishing in stormy seas and hasn’t returned from his trip.
She takes her most precious possessions down to the harbour; a brass locket containing twenty little cowrie shells, a photograph of her father and her beloved doll to offer the sea in return for her father’s safety.
But will the stormy sea return her father and all the other fathers from the fishing trip?
An enchanting fable about faith, sacrifice and hope from an award-winning author.
Books in the Series:
- Molly and the Stormy Sea
- Molly and the Whale
- Molly and the Lockdown
- Molly and the Lighthouse
- Molly and the Shipwreck
Reviews:
'Timeless and heart-warming, this tale speaks of love, sacrifice and hope. Doyles' pitch-perfect writing pull us through the story with gentle, soothing tones inspiring the reader to look deeper, go further. Great care and consideration is given to depicting a vignette of the life of this small island girl. Using clear, concise language, he weaves the story with just the right amount of drama and nuance and conveys a message that everything will be all right. The stunning pictures by Whitson lend mood and atmosphere, with the use of light and colour adapting to each page. The effect is simply magical. This is a wonder of a book; perfectly illustrated and loving told; one you will want to read and share again and again.' Mary Esther Judy, Children's Bookseller
'This collaboration between Doyle and Whitson has produced a beautiful picturebook, accessible to all readers yet sophisticated enough to function on a number of meaningful levels. Themes of love and family abound in Doyle’s delicate prose that is emotive yet never sentimental. The story is wonderfully paced and resonates with the simplicity and power of a fable. Andrew Whitson’s illustrations not only support Malachy Doyle’s text, they elevate and enrich the story. His use of colour and the sense of movement captured in his figures is not only precise but vibrant and exhilarating. [...] This is a timeless and enchanting fable about the power of faith, the price of sacrifice, and the joy of hope which will be read endlessly by children and adults alike.' Children's Books Ireland
'Molly’s sense of fear and isolation is brilliantly portrayed on a double page spread which sees her on top of sand dunes, so tiny against the backdrop of the ocean. The illustrations throughout by Andrew Whitson are inspirational, warm and mellow, yet capturing the strength of the sea.' Mary Arrigan, Irish Examiner
‘Malachy Doyle lives on an island off the coast of Donegal and his illustrator, Andrew Whitson, is also from the north of Ireland. Together they have produced a picture book full of emotion and atmosphere set in an Irish fishing village. Molly wakes up one night and realises that her father is missing. She knows he’s out on his fishing boat and there’s a storm brewing. But Molly has a plan. And maybe she can help bring her father home safely. A book about faith and hope.' Irish Independent