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4-6
Illustrated by
David Parkins.
Set in the thirties, the book recounts the story of a type of sea monster called a kelpie, or Water Horse, from the moment it is discovered by eight-year-old Kirstie as a giant mermaid's purse, through its hatching in a bathtub, to its final disposition, three years later, when the "amiable beastie" is full-grown. Suspense is laced with humor in this fantasy with a compelling pace and appealing premise.
Reviewer: Mary M. Burns
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 1998