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The Riddle of the Sea
When Ravian's father doesn't return home from sea for his son's birthday, Ravian is certain he must be in danger. Hearing tales of a cursed ship that captures fishermen, Ravian goes in search of his father accompanied by his only friend Marvin the seagull.
Before long, the pair find themselves trapped on the ship with a kindly boy and a bad-tempered pirate for company. The ensuing voyage is beset with battles with giant squid and fierce storms, and Ravian despairs of ever finding his father.
A wonderful story of friendship and overcoming fears, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson, Carnegie-Medal 2020 short-listed translator of Lampie by Annet Schaap. Featuring stunning illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Karl James Mountford.
Before long, the pair find themselves trapped on the ship with a kindly boy and a bad-tempered pirate for company. The ensuing voyage is beset with battles with giant squid and fierce storms, and Ravian despairs of ever finding his father.
A wonderful story of friendship and overcoming fears, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson, Carnegie-Medal 2020 short-listed translator of Lampie by Annet Schaap. Featuring stunning illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Karl James Mountford.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2022
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127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 30, 2023
fe read this to me in a welsh national park in the tent every night i loved it
-2 stars for unnecessary sexism but +1 star for being a lil gay
-2 stars for unnecessary sexism but +1 star for being a lil gay
June 13, 2022
This is a really cool children's book. It was originally authored in Dutch and the translation feels good. A young lad has been left by his dad who is a fisherman, but although he is often at sea, he always comes back for the boy's birthday... except that this year something is holding him up.
The boy is told a tall tale about a cursed pirate ship and is told that his father is probably there. Despite this tale being particularly dodgy, he and his trusty seagull take off into the north to find the pirate-ship and rescue his father.
The anthropomorphism of the seagull would not work for me if this wasn't obviously a tale for young children, but the relationship between the boy and his gull is quite charming. As I have said many a time, I am a sucker for a good prophecy and the "riddle" in this story is just that.
Definitely a story for kids who like seafaring tales and piraticals, and might be a good one for some fans of the How To Train Your Dragon books.
The boy is told a tall tale about a cursed pirate ship and is told that his father is probably there. Despite this tale being particularly dodgy, he and his trusty seagull take off into the north to find the pirate-ship and rescue his father.
The anthropomorphism of the seagull would not work for me if this wasn't obviously a tale for young children, but the relationship between the boy and his gull is quite charming. As I have said many a time, I am a sucker for a good prophecy and the "riddle" in this story is just that.
Definitely a story for kids who like seafaring tales and piraticals, and might be a good one for some fans of the How To Train Your Dragon books.
October 3, 2023
A very enjoyable feel-good story. The author did a great job setting the scenes and mood so I felt actually transported into the maritime setting and was involved in every character’s stories. Plus, for someone who’s often tormented by seagulls, this story managed to make me dislike them way less ;)
All in all, recommend to read.
Note to the author - hoping to see more books translated ;)
All in all, recommend to read.
Note to the author - hoping to see more books translated ;)
July 30, 2023
4 stars for the personal memories of reading it out loud to anna in the tent in welsh nature while it was raining, lived for the seagull content and subtle wholesome gayness, really easily could have done without the classic pirate story sexism
July 31, 2024
veldig glad jeg kjøpte denne for togturen hjem🤙 3,5⭐️
June 18, 2022
Meh.
Didn’t hold my interest once I knew the secret of the curse. Surprised this was translated TBH as it didn’t feel particularly unique or original.
It was ok, quite a nice story but where are all the girls?! With the exception of the sea herself and the brief appearance of the weepy neighbour there were no women or girls. The mother isn’t even mentioned…even the seemingly all understanding gull (no such thing as a seagull) is male.
I gave up in the end I’m afraid but you might like it!
Didn’t hold my interest once I knew the secret of the curse. Surprised this was translated TBH as it didn’t feel particularly unique or original.
It was ok, quite a nice story but where are all the girls?! With the exception of the sea herself and the brief appearance of the weepy neighbour there were no women or girls. The mother isn’t even mentioned…even the seemingly all understanding gull (no such thing as a seagull) is male.
I gave up in the end I’m afraid but you might like it!
May 11, 2022
It was a sweet, middle grade story about a boy looking for his father and conquering his fears in the process.
Ravian's father, Lasse, didn't come home - he's a sailor and he spends a lot of time at sea, but he's been away for too long this time. So, Ravian and his loyal friend Marvin the seagull, go on an adventure to try and find Lasse. They end up on a cursed ship, the Night Raider, which you cannot leave once you step foot on its deck. There they meet Pirate Bank, a grumpy, selfish pirate who's the reason sea coursed the ship in the first place, and Kars, a boy Ravian's age who's been stuck on the ship for a year. Together they'll swim the sea in search for Lasse (and rum).
It was a nice, adventurous story about friendship, courage, redemption and facing your fears. It felt quite naïve at times and the obstacles Ravian met came straight from a fairytale, which made them formulaic and slightly underwhelming. But if you feel like a reading a book that feels like a bedtime story, you might want to pick this one up.
Ravian's father, Lasse, didn't come home - he's a sailor and he spends a lot of time at sea, but he's been away for too long this time. So, Ravian and his loyal friend Marvin the seagull, go on an adventure to try and find Lasse. They end up on a cursed ship, the Night Raider, which you cannot leave once you step foot on its deck. There they meet Pirate Bank, a grumpy, selfish pirate who's the reason sea coursed the ship in the first place, and Kars, a boy Ravian's age who's been stuck on the ship for a year. Together they'll swim the sea in search for Lasse (and rum).
It was a nice, adventurous story about friendship, courage, redemption and facing your fears. It felt quite naïve at times and the obstacles Ravian met came straight from a fairytale, which made them formulaic and slightly underwhelming. But if you feel like a reading a book that feels like a bedtime story, you might want to pick this one up.
April 21, 2022
This was a sweet, translated middle-grade focused on love, family, and unexpected friendships. It was filled with adventures, cute illustrations and fun animal sidekicks (my personal favourite being Marvin the seagull). I enjoyed all the little adventures that the protagonists went on and I feel Kramer did a great job at developing the relationships between the characters.
The writing felt quite simplistic at the start that I wasn’t sure I was going to get along with it, but in the end, I found myself enjoying the flow of it. It also wasn’t as exciting as I was expecting though and certain plot points felt lost in the middle of the story. Furthermore, the ending seemed quite convenient but saying that it is a middle grade and I can appreciate that the target audience would have loved it! I’m not this said target audience but I did greatly enjoy this novel and all of the characters and would definitely recommend it for a younger reader.
The writing felt quite simplistic at the start that I wasn’t sure I was going to get along with it, but in the end, I found myself enjoying the flow of it. It also wasn’t as exciting as I was expecting though and certain plot points felt lost in the middle of the story. Furthermore, the ending seemed quite convenient but saying that it is a middle grade and I can appreciate that the target audience would have loved it! I’m not this said target audience but I did greatly enjoy this novel and all of the characters and would definitely recommend it for a younger reader.
September 29, 2025
It’s an okay read—fun parts, but also some things bugged me.
Mainly, I liked Ravian and how he ends up on the cursed ship with Marvin, Banks and the other boy. Those middle bits, when Ravian is bound by the ship’s curse, the pirate is rough but there’s tension, storms, a sense of danger—those worked well. They felt exciting and kept me interested.
But the parts before and after? Less so. The conflicts often resolve too easily, which makes things feel a little shallow and unrealistic—especially after everything that happens in the middle. The ending has a woman on the beach, but I didn’t really see what purpose she served in the story—it felt like she was there only because of her looks, not her character.
Overall, good for a lighter adventure, especially for younger readers. But for me it didn’t quite hit deeper.
Mainly, I liked Ravian and how he ends up on the cursed ship with Marvin, Banks and the other boy. Those middle bits, when Ravian is bound by the ship’s curse, the pirate is rough but there’s tension, storms, a sense of danger—those worked well. They felt exciting and kept me interested.
But the parts before and after? Less so. The conflicts often resolve too easily, which makes things feel a little shallow and unrealistic—especially after everything that happens in the middle. The ending has a woman on the beach, but I didn’t really see what purpose she served in the story—it felt like she was there only because of her looks, not her character.
Overall, good for a lighter adventure, especially for younger readers. But for me it didn’t quite hit deeper.
April 19, 2022
I had mixed feelings about this book, but by the end I really enjoyed it.
I found the telling of the story to be a tad simplistic at the start, but it improved a lot by the end, becoming a much more enjoyable read. It was a good premise and a satisfying conclusion.
Perhaps not a book I'd read again,.but I think it would be a good book for kids wanting to go from easier stories to more complex ones, with more complicated plots, as it's a good middle ground and has an exciting story.
I found the telling of the story to be a tad simplistic at the start, but it improved a lot by the end, becoming a much more enjoyable read. It was a good premise and a satisfying conclusion.
Perhaps not a book I'd read again,.but I think it would be a good book for kids wanting to go from easier stories to more complex ones, with more complicated plots, as it's a good middle ground and has an exciting story.
August 9, 2022
This is a great story, filled with excitement and adventure. Once I got going I was hooked and couldn't put it down.
A young boy goes in search of his missing father, but instead of finding him he ends up trapped on a cursed pirate ship. Thanks to the help of his friends they break the curse and rescue his father from other pirates. The ended was quite a surprise, which I'll leave you to discover for yourselves!
A young boy goes in search of his missing father, but instead of finding him he ends up trapped on a cursed pirate ship. Thanks to the help of his friends they break the curse and rescue his father from other pirates. The ended was quite a surprise, which I'll leave you to discover for yourselves!
August 16, 2022
A sweet little story, following a young boy named Ravian, his best friend Marvin the seagull, and a cursed ship. Friends are made, adventures are had, and a riddle is solved by the end.
The beginning is a bit slow, and the amount of times the names of the characters are repeated honestly made me close to DNFing it, but if you power through and learn to block that annoying bit out, it’s quite nice. The translation overall is done extremely well too.
The beginning is a bit slow, and the amount of times the names of the characters are repeated honestly made me close to DNFing it, but if you power through and learn to block that annoying bit out, it’s quite nice. The translation overall is done extremely well too.
March 20, 2022
I read this book really quickly, it is really well written with an enchanting plot and well developed charcaters that I think children will really engage with. The illustrations were beautiful and will really help children bring their imagination even more into play. A really good book.
April 10, 2022
3.5 stars. A sweet story about seafaring, finding loved ones, making friends, overcoming one's fears and happy endings, even if it takes a while. The writing is a bit slow burn, yet poetic at places and adventurous. Also the cover is so beautiful!
April 23, 2022
I enjoyed the story and liked the characters in this. It was a bit of a slow start but after the initial first couple of characters it got more flow.
The character building was really good. I would read it again.
The character building was really good. I would read it again.
July 19, 2023
3.25*
Accidentally bought a children's book, but you know, I wasn't even all that mad. It was enjoyable, even if it was hella simple! Sometimes you just need some clear cut easygoing pirate adventure about a boy trying to find his dad!
Accidentally bought a children's book, but you know, I wasn't even all that mad. It was enjoyable, even if it was hella simple! Sometimes you just need some clear cut easygoing pirate adventure about a boy trying to find his dad!
August 30, 2022
The fact that you could really tell that this was translated from Dutch almost word for word stopped me from enjoying this. Something about the writing really put me off.
December 25, 2022
3.5*
This cover is absolutely stunning.
This cover is absolutely stunning.
September 27, 2022
Ännu en extremt mysig bok, den var lättläst (bra om man vill börja läsa på engelska) och man kom snabbt in i boken. Charmerande karaktärer och en bra story, som gjorde att allting kändes sammanhängande som hände i boken. Slutet var bra och allting knöts ihop bra. Älskade att det fanns bilder på vissa ställen i boken, tyckte jag var super trevligt! Rekomenderar absolut.
September 8, 2025
A sea adventure worthy of the greatest sailors
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews