Review by Hunter_T -- The Fisherman and his Foundlings

[Hunter Tester]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fisherman and his Foundlings" by Phillip Leighton-Daly.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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“Nothing is as powerful as the wind…and the sea is her servant.” The author starts and ends the book with this quote. The story is based around an old fisherman that lives on the coastline. His life hasn’t been easy, having already lost his wife to leprosy. He lives in a humble home built from the wreckage of ships. Often, the old man travels to a leper community and also an orphan community. Each time he is risking his life to help others. He usually takes fish with him that he has caught. The oil from the fish actually helps to relieve those with leprosy.

One morning when the old man goes down to the ocean, he spots a merchild. She is part of the merfolk or mermaids. These people don’t interact with the land folk and actually think of them as enemies. The merqueen gets upset at the merchild and wants to kill the old fisherman. The queen comes in contact with him, but he gets away. The old man spends his days caring for the merchild, and this gives him a renewed purpose. He often tells her stories from his life, and she loves listening to them. This becomes some of the happiest times he has had since his wife died. Will it be acceptable for these two to continue to interact and what will become of them? This is a story about the impact one can have by being selfless in helping others.

There are several things I like about The Fisherman and his Foundlings by Phillip Leighton-Daly. The illustrations done by Honasan are a great help to visualize some of the scenes. The author also has the skill of combining aspects of the fantasy world with the real world. There are leper and orphan communities, and a fisherman. On the other hand, there are also mermaids. I commend the author for the ability to think outside of the box. The overall message of the story is great too. This old fisherman finds purpose in life by serving and helping others. He doesn’t look at their status, disease, or if they are human or not. This has a continuous impact even for years to come. Lastly, the book is short and exceptionally well-edited. I found zero grammar mistakes in the book's entirety.

While I like certain aspects, I also have some drawbacks about the book. I thought the merqueen wasn’t enough of a villain. I thought she would be more of a threat, but the scenes involving her were anticlimactic. I also feel that not enough details were included at the end of the story to understand why everything happened the way it did to the main characters. This is a personal opinion, and it may be how the author intended it to be. Lastly, there were several words that I didn’t know the meaning of. Because of this, the reader may have to look up words they struggle with.

With that said, I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I thought the scenes with the merqueen could have been enhanced to make her into more of a villain. I also think certain information could be included at the end to bring closure for the audience. As I mentioned, there may be a reading difficulty with some of the words used by the author.

Primarily, this book is part of the young adult genre. Since mermaids are involved there is also a fantasy/supernatural element to the story. Because of the difficult vocabulary, I would recommend this book for teenagers. Even then, they will need to look up words occasionally. This would be a good book for someone that wants to read something short and not be overwhelmed by the task of reading. I feel that whoever reads this book can learn something even though it may not take long to read.

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The Fisherman and his Foundlings
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[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I remember when this book was BOTD, and as far as I remember, it was intended as a children's book. I agree with you that the vocabulary is way too advanced (that was one of my comments) but I guess that's why the antagonist is a "soft" villain, because it was intended as a children's story.
Excellent review!

[Hunter Tester]

I remember when this book was BOTD, and as far as I remember, it was intended as a children's book. I agree with you that the vocabulary is way too advanced (that was one of my comments) but I guess that's why the antagonist is a "soft" villain, because it was intended as a children's story.
Excellent review!

Glad I'm not the only one with that feeling. Thanks so much for reading and your comment!

[Bertha Jackson]

I too had to look up some of the words. I think children will enjoy the illustrations and not worry much about the words. Excellent review.

[Hunter Tester]

I too had to look up some of the words. I think children will enjoy the illustrations and not worry much about the words. Excellent review.

I agree. Thanks so much for reading my review!!

[Chizioboli]

I read this book and learnt quite a lot about selflessness. However, your note about the illustrations is right. Additionally, I found the illustrations had some annoying watermark that did more harm than good. Great job

[Hunter Tester]

I read this book and learnt quite a lot about selflessness. However, your note about the illustrations is right. Additionally, I found the illustrations had some annoying watermark that did more harm than good. Great job

Oh I didn’t notice that. Thanks for reading my review!!

[MsH2k]

In sampling this book, I had a tough time identifying the best audience. As you mention, the vocabulary can be challenging. It’s great that the story reinforces selflessness. Thank you for your thorough take on this read!

[Hunter Tester]

In sampling this book, I had a tough time identifying the best audience. As you mention, the vocabulary can be challenging. It’s great that the story reinforces selflessness. Thank you for your thorough take on this read!

Thank you! I appreciate you reading my review.

[Kavita Shah]

It sounds like a good fantasy fiction. The cover is really pretty. The wisdom of being selflessness is nice and it's suitable for the intended audience. Thank you for a insightful review!

[Hunter Tester]

It sounds like a good fantasy fiction. The cover is really pretty. The wisdom of being selflessness is nice and it's suitable for the intended audience. Thank you for a insightful review!

Thank you for reading and for your kind words!

[John Owen]

Well, the narration is perfect even though it has advanced vocabulary. I kept reading the blurb in your review over and over. So sad I missed it when it was the BOTD.

[Hunter Tester]

Well, the narration is perfect even though it has advanced vocabulary. I kept reading the blurb in your review over and over. So sad I missed it when it was the BOTD.

Thanks for reading my review.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I wish there were more books that featured a selfless protagonist who gained a sense of fulfillment through helping other people, no matter what they look like or where they come from. After losing his wife, I am glad that the fisherman found a companion that brought him some happiness. I hope that isn't taken away from him.
Thank you for a wonderful review.

[Christell Lindeque]

I like the message behind the story of how selflessness can impact people's lives. I love fantasy stories, so the part about the mermaids interests me. What I don't like is that I might struggle to read the book if the author used very difficult words in his writing. Great review.