The Secret of Black Rock

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A surreal modern folk-tale about an adventurous little girl who must protect a peaceful living creature.Erin is fascinated by the legend of Black Rock: a huge, dark and spiky mass that is said to destroy any boats that come near it! But are the tales really true? One day Erin sneaks on board her mother's fishing boat to find out...Featuring a brave and curious young girl as the main character, The Secret of Black Rock contains a subtle message relating to environmentally-friendly practices and the importance of protecting coral reefs.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Todd-Stanton follows Arthur and the Golden Rope with another engrossing story of an intrepid child. Erin Pike, a fisherwoman's daughter, is eager to unlock the local legend of Black Rock, which some say "never stays in the same place and... could smash a boat to pieces." After sneaking onto her mother's boat, Erin is washed overboard and discovers that Black Rock is an enormous, friendly, rocklike creature that's also home to a bounty of sea life. But when Erin shares what she has learned, the residents of her coastal town see the creature as a threat. Todd-Stanton creates a striking visual contrast between the rich blue-green depths of the water and the glowing reds and oranges used for the brick, wood, and metal of the human world. There's a powerful sense of drama in his cartooning and storytelling, as well as a friendliness at play in the artwork that tempers this yarn's scariest moments. It's a story that succeeds both as a daring adventure and as a reminder that our own living (if not quite so anthropomorphic) habitat needs to be treated with care. Ages 3-7. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Book Review

After a courageous young girl befriends a legendary creature, she must stop the frightened villagers from attacking it. With ivory hair and pale white skin, Erin Pike lives in a quaint seaside town with her spotted hound, Archie, and her fisherwoman mother. The people of her town all tell tales of the horrible monster Black Rock, a fearsome and gigantic nautical creature capable of moving throughout the seas and tearing boats to pieces. Undaunted by the whispers, Erin stows away on her mother's boat to find the monster. She discovers, however, that Black Rock is a gentle being who follows the plethora of beautiful aquatic life that inhabits the sea. When the townsfolk decide to attack Black Rock, will one small girl be able to stop them? Todd-Stanton's tale is, at first glance, a deceptively simple tale of acceptance and bravery. However, he deftly infuses his narrative with quiet depth, including a positive ecological slant in which nature wins over machines, and portrays Erin's single mother succeeding in a typically male-dominated profession. The illustrations are dazzling and vibrantly hued, the rich palette just right for the resplendent undersea scenes that adroitly float young readers' sense of magic just under the surface of the mundane. A winner on many levels. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.