CHILDREN from two to ten will love An Pheist Mor by Gabriel Rosenstock (An Gum, £4), and adults will fall under its spell also. It involves three fishermen, a goat, an old woman and a monster. Manas, Ruairi and Pendar all set to sea - not in a sieve, although Edward Lear's nonsense verse may come to mind - but in a little boat which they fill with enough provisions to do them for a week. They decide to bring a goat along with them also, and an old woman to milk the goat, and her stool. Their intention is to visit Inis na Ron.
The story has been taken from folklore and adapted by Gabriel Rosenstock for today's young readers. He has brought out the inherent hilarity and freshness of the adventure and created a world that is anarchic and weird. The book is beautifully illustrated by Piet Sluis, with purple, pink, orange and blue drawings of great goings on. And best of all, there is a happy ending.
Roisin ar Strae, by Colman O Rnghallaigh, with pictures by Aoife Ni Raghallaigh (An Gum, £4.95), tells the story of a little girl called Roisin, who wanders off to have a lot of adventures while her mammy is shopping. She is delighted with herself as she wanders through the streets of Dublin meeting all sorts of people and kindness everywhere. She has a great day. It is clear from early on that Roisin does not feel herself to be lost she believes that her mummy is. "Mam bhocht," she says. "Ta si caillte." Roisin finally she meets up with a Garda "cinealta" who has been on the look out for her, and is reunited with her mammy. The pictures are beautifully clear and pleasant. However, the story did not enchant or delight this adult reader, perhaps because of the unsettling premise that a little girl getting lost in a big city is a great big adventure.