The Boy Who Held Back the Sea

By blocking a leaking hole in the dike, a young boy saves his town from destruction...

Jan had never done anything more heroic than shout for the guard because he'd imagined he'd seen a sea serpent. But when Jan discovered water trickling through a desolate stretch of the dike that protected his low-lying village, he knew he had to act fast.

I like this book for its illustrations, plain and simple. I enjoyed the simple retelling of the classic tale, but it was Thomas Locker's epic landscapes that did it for me here.

Jan had never done anything more heroic than shout for the guard because he'd imagined he'd seen a sea serpent. But when Jan discovered water trickling through a desolate stretch of the dike that protected his low-lying village, he knew he had to act fast.

Incredible paintings byThomas Locker make this book a wonderful delight for eyes. He uses the style of the old Dutch masters, appropriate, I think for this legend of the hole in the dike and boy who held back the sea.

The illustrations are of old masters paintings. The setting is in a small town that has a beautiful wind mill and a dyke that holds back the water. Peter is a small boy who has a large way of getting into trouble. When Peter asked his mother to avoid Sunday morning church service so he could visit and read to a blind man, Mr. Schuyler, who lives five miles up the canal. She gave him a lunch and a pie for Mr. Schuyler.

Barely out of his mother's sight, Peter ate the pie. He didn't like the lunch, so he killed and had a fire to grill the squirrel. Peter discovered a small leak in the dyke. Knowing even a small leak can cause a big problem, he wrapped a handkerchief around his finger to stop the leaking. Finally, it the night, the water was show more stopped.

Now Peter needed help getting home. Along came the most wicked man of the small town. Captain Blauvelt went back to town and gathered a group of men to help. Peter was now known as a hero, rather than a trouble maker. show less

This book is good for children first to third grade. Jan is perceived as being a bad boy, but after he saves the town from drowning they realize he's not. This book is good to show kids that even the most unlikely can do acts of kindness and bravery.

This is th Dutch version of the boy who cried wolf. Jan is always trying to arouse concern about enemy soldiers and sea monsters, so when he claims dam is leaking, no one believes him, though the constable tells him to go back and that he will follow with help. Jan goes back alone and puts his finger in the dike, but no help comes. Someone comes by and goes for help, but unfortunately he isn't believed and is arrested for disorderly conduct. Finally in the early morning the schoolmaster wanders by.

Book Review, Pierce Colle Ages: (4-7)