Matthew and the Sea Singer

Birdy

by Jill Paton Walsh

Nicholas, a spirited French boy, survives a year in a boys' primary school and recounts his numerous adventures, including sitting for a class picture, taunting a substitute, and kissing up to their teacher. All ages.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1993

About the author

Jill Paton Walsh was born Gillian Bliss in London on April 29th, 1937. She was educated at St. Michael's Convent, North Finchley, and at St. Anne's College, Oxford. From 1959 to 1962 she taught English at Enfield Girls' Grammar School.

Jill Paton Walsh has won the Book World Festival Award, 1970, for Fireweed; the Whitbread Prize, 1974 (for a Children's novel) for The Emperor's Winding Sheet; The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 1976 for Unleaving; The Universe Prize, 1984 for A Parcel of Patterns; and the Smarties Grand Prix, 1984, for Gaffer Samson's Luck.

Series:
* Imogen Quy
* Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane

Reviews

[Tess Jones-Orta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept thinking, "But what does Matthew want?"

[Natalie Votipka]

Great little book (but not actually such an easy reader). I chuckled at them naming the mer-boy Pagan and teaching him to sing from the baptismal font (he remained a heathen, though). Beautiful illustrations!