The Fog Catcher’s Daughter

In Ireland, Eily and her fog catcher father live “in a little cottage three fields from the sea,” near the isle of Lisnashee, which “belonged to the Good People, the fairy folk.” To keep their houses safe from potential fairy antics, the villagers set out freshly churned butter and scatter drops of water captured by Eily’s father on Lisnashee. After he leaves on his once-a-year voyage to the island, Eily finds he’s left behind the charm he needs to stay safe, and she sets out in a rowboat on a daring journey to find him. Delicately worked watercolors by Marks (Daring Dozen) capture the dance of land and sea: frothy waves, shrouds of mist, and, with just a hint of menace, the icy, wraith-like fairies themselves. The closeness of the relationship between father and daughter can be read in the tenderly outlined faces of Eily and her Papa, who read as white. Prose by McShane (Rónán and the Mermaid) carries a hint of Irish lilt, as when the village healer blesses Eily: “A smooth way before you, child.” Eily’s intrepid rescue gives this story a big dramatic arc, and love for her father warms it. An author’s note concludes. Ages 5–8. (June)