Song of the Dolphin Boy

by Elizabeth Laird

Finn has always been different, and in the tiny fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Always told to keep away from the water, he's felt that something was missing until one day he dives in and finds that, swimming with the dolphins, he feels completely at home. But his new friends are in danger of being injured by the rubbish that floats out into the water—and now a supermarket is going to release thousands of balloons that could drift out to sea and cause even more damage. Desperate to help the dolphins, Finn goes to the Lighthouse Crew, a group of kids who have always left Finn out. Will they be able to set aside their differences to save the dolphins? And what will Finn discover about his past along the way? A moving adventure about the impact of plastic pollution on our seas, and the campaigning power of friendship.

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Middle Grade, School, Environment

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2019

About the author

Laird was born in New Zealand in 1943, the fourth of five children. Her father was a ship's surgeon; both he and Laird's mother were Scottish. In 1945, Laird and her family returned to Britain and she grew up in South London, where she was educated at Croydon High School.
When she was eighteen, Laird started teaching at a school in Malaysia. She decided to continue her adventurous life, even though she was bitten by a poisonous snake and went down with typhoid.

After attending the university in Bristol, Laird began teaching English in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She and a friend would hire mules and go into remote areas in the holidays.

After a while at Edinburgh University, Laird worked in India for a summer. During travel, she met her future husband, David McDowall, who she said was very kind to her when she was airsick on a plane. The couple were married in 1975 and have two sons, Angus and William.

Laird has also visited Iraq and Lebanon. She claims to dislike snakes, porridge and being cold but enjoys very dark chocolate, Mozart, reading and playing the violin in the Iraq Symphony Orchestra.

She currently lives in Richmond, London with her husband.

Reviews

[Rachel Roby]

To readers looking for a book to capture children’s interest and provide excellent example of power, Song of the Dolphin Boy is the book for you. Many examples of power are shown throughout Laird’s book. Some examples include referent, expert, and agency. As the reader joint Finn in a journey of self discovery and empowerment, readers will realize that power dynamics influence kid relationships just as much as adults. Just as in the article A Story of Negotiation and Agency: An Exploration of Power in Click Clack Moo and Contemporary Picture books by Suzette Youngs and Stacy Loyd, power dynamics in Song of the Dolphin Boy helps young readers to a social justice mindset. As readers relate to Finn and the other kids in the small seaside town of the story, readers will begin to change the mindset set towards other children and begin to learn inclusion skills and respect for peers.

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn is an eleven year old boy living in a small Scottish village called Stromhead. Despite being one of only eleven children in the local area, Finn has no friends because something about him is different and it makes the other children uneasy.
He lives with his father, a retired fisherman who now seems to hate the sea, making Finn promise that he will never go near it in case it takes him the way it took his mother. She disappeared when Finn was two, and the pall of suspicion has never lifted off his father.
When, one day, Finn accidentally falls into the sea, he worries that he is going to drown. Instead, he feels more at home there than he ever did on dry land. He makes friends with a local dolphin, but soon finds out that they are in trouble because of all the plastic polluting the sea. Finn's two worlds collide as he attempts to help the dolphins.

This was a beautiful story, as expected by Elizabeth Laird. Poor Finn is so isolated in his tiny community, always admiring the sea from a distance but never able to sail or swim. I liked the way the old story of the selkie was adapted to have Finn's mother as a dolphin and him as the dolphin boy mentioned in the poem at the beginning of the book. The environmental message is very clear and, perhaps a bit heavy-handed, as the main' villains' are just small-town men looking for a job. However, this is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a child and a book that I would recommend for children now, especially as they will be the future stewards of our planet and us humans have created a right mess for them to tidy up.

I will be adding this to my collection of books about environmental issues, adding it to our school library (Age 7-11) and reading it with my class. The perfect book to educate about the dangers of plastic in the oceans, while telling a wonderful story.

[University of Chester teacher readers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Although I am getting a bit fed up of stories with a message this one worked. The characterisation of the young people and adults was real. As well as the ecological issue of the balloons for the dolphins, there was the theme of isolation/friendship and families which was dealt with well. The magical element of the selkies gave a mythical feel to the story.
A great read, which could be used in the classroom for these themes, but would leave a lasting impact and could be enjoyed by anyone.
It was shortlisted for the Blue Peter book award - which is one that is chosen by children.
Ages 8-11.

[Vicky Hard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn is a boy who doesn't fit in. His isolation is compounded by the fact that he lives on a small Scottish island which has only 10 other children. One day, in dramatic circumstances, Finn discovers why he is so different and he and the
Lighthouse crew realise they have a very important job to do.

This book is a wonderful way for children to understand the importance of environmental issues and that everyone, even children can make a difference. This book delivers a wonderful message to the people who will govern our planet in the future and hopefully save it too.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful story of Finn, the son of a mermaid and fisherman, set in modern Scotland, who discovers his swimming ability after being chased by the local bully. This incident causes remorse in the bully and the other children who think he’s drowned. What follows is a story of friendship and reconciliation with an environmental theme thrown in for good measure. More for Primary school aged children on the middle grade 9-12 age range.

[Lisa Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I plan to read this book to my nine-year-old son. There are so many great lessons to take from it - bullying, kindness, environment, plastic pollution. I liked that author Elizabeth Laird was able to write a story for the eight- to 12-year-year-old group and show how young kids can make a difference.

[James Haddell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab little read this. A young loner in a Scottish fishing village discovers a magical family secret that sets him on a path to self-acceptance and gives him a higher purpose.

Great coming-of-age Lower Key Stage 2 book with an unashamedly environmental heartbeat to it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story that I will be resting to my class as part of work on ‘Human impact on planet Earth’. It gets the message across in a great way whilst not detracting from this story of isolation, feeling different, friendship, resilience, loss and teamwork - all issues prevalent and relevant.

[Electro Space Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad that this story is based on events that are real. I would like a sequel to this book.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, well-written book that deals with the themes of loneliness, belonging and the need to save the environment. A good book for years 3-4.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book which links fantasy and the real life problem of plastic pollution. I will definitely be using this book in my teaching.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and heart warming

A beautifully written story that tugs at your heart while making you think. This is a book everyone needs to read.

[Jenni Hoteila · Rating 5 out of 5]

After starting to read I couldn't stop. What a wonderful and deep story, it felt like I was there with them.

[Shweta Keswani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vert good book, with a deep meaning as to why to save the 🌎, a passionate boy who cares about the planet and the dolphins and sea animals.

[Benjamin Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, great for ks2 rivers and coasts links

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book about friendship, family and protecting the ocean. A definite heart-warming first read of 2021!

[Sophie Toovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children enjoyed this story, with a timely environmental message. They love the film Song of the Sea about a selkie so this tied in with the mythical ideas in the book too.

[rebecca l Mccormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice

[trijnewijn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik ben veel te verwend door als kind Dolfijnenkind van Patrick Lagrou gelezen te hebben. Dit voelde als een minder geslaagde versie.

[Martta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, heart felt book. I loved it and will definitely try to find other books by this author. So cute and colored by childrens eyes.

[Alivia S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring. A tale about a boy named Finn and his friends helping dolphins under the sea by stopping a balloon release for a new supermarket.

[Samuel Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book for my year 4s but be warned the chapters are long to read allowed so needs to be carefully portioned if used alongside English lessons.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book, easy to read and engage with, magical and with such an important message. Love the triumph of the end.

[Shreya✨💗 Naidu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot wasn’t interesting