The Sea King's Daughter: A Russian Legend (15th Anniversary Edition)

by Aaron Shepard, Gennady Spirin (Illustrator)

Overview

Set in the city of Novgorod long ago, the story tells of the poor musician Sadko, whose fortunes change when he is called to play at the Sea King's palace. Adventure, romance — and a heartbreaking decision — await the musician when he encounters the Sea King's beautiful daughter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620359020
Publisher:	Skyhook Press
Publication date:	07/22/2024
Pages:	34
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Aaron Shepard has been fascinated by this story since childhood. He is the author of many folktales, including The Sea King's Daughter: A Russian Legend, The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale, The Maiden of Northland: A Hero Tale of Finland, and most recently, The Princess Mouse: A Tale of Finland. He lives in the Los Angeles area.

Read an Excerpt

Down sank Sadko, down all the way to the sea floor. The red sun shone dimly through the water above, while before him stood a white stone palace.

Sadko passed through a coral gate. As he reached the huge palace doors, they swung open to reveal a giant hall. The elegant room was filled with guests and royal attendants—herring and sprats, cod and flounder, gobies and sticklebacks, sand eels and sea scorpions, crabs and lobsters, starfish and squid, sea turtles and giant sturgeon.

Standing among the guests were dozens of maidens—river nymphs, the Sea King's daughters. On a shell throne at the end of the hall sat the Sea King and his Queen.

"You're just in time!" called the King. "Musician, come sit by me—and let the dance begin!"

Sadko set his gusli on his lap and plucked a merry tune. Soon all the fish swam in graceful figures. The seafloor crawlers cavorted. The river maidens leaped and spun.

"I like that tune!" declared the King. He jumped to the center of the hall and joined the dance. His arms waved, his robe swirled, his hair streamed, his feet stamped.

"Faster!" cried the King. "Play faster!"

Sadko played faster and the King's dance grew wilder. All the others stopped and watched in awe. Ever more madly did he move, whirling faster, leaping higher, stamping harder.

The Sea Queen whispered urgently, "Musician, end your tune! It seems to you the King merely dances in his hall. But above us, the sea is tossing ships like toys, and giant waves are breaking on the shore!"

Alarmed, Sadko pulled a string until it snapped. "Your Majesty, my gusli is broken."

"A shame," said the Sea King, winding to a stop. "I could have danced for days. But a fine fellow you are, Sadko. I think I'll marry you to one of my daughters and keep you here forever."

Editorial Reviews

Emotionally authentic prose and jewel-like illustrations that emulate pre-Raphaelite texture and ornament make this retelling of a Russian folktale an exquisite volume. In the medieval city of Novgorod the Great, Sadko, a poor musician, longs for love as he sits by the River Volkhov and plucks his 12-string gusli. His music wins him the favor of the Sea King, who invites him to visit his palace under the sea. In pale watercolors sparked with lustrous gold, the royal attendantsincluding mermaids, lobsters in metal armor and crabs in puffed Elizabethan-style sleevesfloat across a double-page full-bleed spread or a vignette panel in spiraling curves. Spirin (Kashtanka) renders them with a mistiness that creates the sensation of opening one's eyes under water. The king insists Sadko marry his daughter Volkhova, the nymph of the river the musician loves. When Sadko learns that kissing her would separate him from his beloved homeland forever, he reluctantly forsakes Volkhova's affections and returns from whence he came. "He wept," writes Shephard (The Baker's Dozen), "perhaps for joy, perhaps for sadness at his loss, perhaps for both." A short afterword gives a history on Russian legends, but no facts can detract from the mood of eloquent enchantment created here. Ages 6-9. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 3-6--A poor but gifted musician draws the attention of the King of the Sea, who invites him to visit his palace under the sea. The ruler then becomes so taken with the young man's music that he insists Sadko stay and marry one of his daughters. The Sea Queen, however, whispers to Sadko that if he kisses or embraces his sea-wife, he will never be able to return home again. That evening he lies next to his bride, the Princess Volkhova, but never touches her. The next morning he awakes beside the River Volkhov in his beloved city of Novgorod. He becomes a rich merchant, marries, and raises a family, but whenever he plays his music near the river, he thinks he sees the Princess Volkhova raising her head out of the water to listen. This retelling retains the flavor of Old Russia. Shepard includes detailed notes about the story, his sources, and a brief pronunciation guide. Spirin's full-page watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are lavish, highly decorative, and somewhat formal in their execution. Done in a palette of sepia-toned browns, reds, and blues, the pictures are highly stylized and reminiscent of a late 19th-century illustrative style. The depiction of the Sea King's family is interesting; while some of the undersea creatures are depicted as mermaids, the Sea King and his family wear traditional Russian dress and have legs and feet. Overall, this is a fascinating spin on mermaid/human interaction and should appeal to an older picture-book audience.--Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University, Normal

School Library Journal

Emotionally authentic prose and jewel-like illustrations make this an exquisite volume...[A] mood of eloquent enchantment.
—Publishers Weekly, Aug. 25, 1997, starred review

Exquisite.
—The New York Times Book Review, Oct. 26, 1997

Knock-your-socks-off beautiful...Will stay in a family's library forever.
—Valerie Lewis, "CBS This Morning," Dec. 11, 1997

Retains the flavor of Old Russia...A fascinating spin on mermaid/human interaction.
—Denise Anton Wright, School Library Journal, Dec. 1997

The telling is descriptive yet very accessible...The pictures are gorgeous and resplendent with extraordinary details.
—Stephanie Zvirin, American Library Association Booklist, Nov. 15, 1997

Aaron Shepard proves once again that he is one of the finest authors working in the field of folktales today. Meticulous research and a respect for the story, as well as those who have told it, characterize all of Aaron's works. Set off by illustrations that are as wondrous and detailed as the story, this is a book that begs to be read aloud.
—Kip Nead, Growing Up, Nov. 1997

Aaron's prose is both lyrical and storyteller-friendly, plus he includes excellent notes on his sources and the historical and cultural background of the story.
—Katy Rydell, Stories, Winter 1998

Involving...Stunning.
—Susie Wilde, WUNC-FM

Lush language and Gennady Spirin's intricate watercolors make The Sea King's Daughter a feast for ear and eye.
—Mary Quattlebaum, Washington Parent, May 1998

Rich...This book will delight students of all ages.
—The Mailbox Bookbag, Aug.-Sept. 1998

Shepard masterfully brings this story to a new audience.
—Janet Marnatti, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov. 15, 1998

A satisfying story, beautifully illustrated.
—Marilyn Courtot, Children's Literature, June 1998

From the Publisher