TWU - Module 1 - MultiCultural Literature - Batchelder Award Novel

Mourievat, Jean-Claude. Translated from the French by Y. Maudet. 1999. THE PULL OF THE OCEAN. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385903646.

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Jacket illustration by John Hendrix.

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This is a fun story, loosely based on "Tom Thumb." Yann is a very tiny, mute boy, born 7th in his family, which already has three sets of boy twins, but he came last and alone. Their parents are very poor peasants and hard task masters. One evening, Yann believes that he overhears his parents planning to kill all of the children, and so he wakes them, and they escape into the rainy, cold night. Through a series of adventures and meeting an interesting variety of people, this story becomes not only one of survival, but of the love between brothers. It is a page-turner, that will keep you reading all the way to the end.

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The story is set in France and it does feel very French. The names of the characters and locations help to set the story. The story mostly feels modern-day, but also keeps a magical fairy tale feeling to it, just on the edge. Having visited Europe several years ago, I could easily see in my mind's eye the train system, the stores selling bread, the quaint cottages by the sea, the variety of delivery trucks, the description of the soccer stadium, and the rolling farms. The story "felt" familiar and comfortable, and I easily could believe all that was happening with Yann and his brothers. This story was delightful for me and I will enjoy adding it to my library and sharing it with kids.

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The author described Yann's parents and brothers in a very simple way, but yet through their actions, and how they treated Yann, the reader can't help but care about them, especially because they all had a sweet fondness for little Yann. Yann, on the other hand, seemed highly intelligent, and even though he was mute, he was still able to communicate well enough in his own way, especially being highly manipulative of others to his own advantage. This book has many levels, and that makes it very engaging for a variety of readers.

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It would be interesting to first introduce the original Charles Perrault's, "Tom Thumb," to a class and then to read this novel to them. The students could divide into small groups and create a VENN diagram of the similarities and differences in the two stories. This could be done on large sheets of paper, and then they could hang them on the wall, comparing one group's diagram, to the other groups. This would make for a very interesting discussion. Also, the kids could be asked to tell what they feel makes this novel feel "French" for them, and to hear their respones. This would be fun!

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School Library Journal - Poverty and hardship echo throughout this modern "Tom Thumb" story, but it is ultimately the spirit of brotherhood that is the highlight of this tale. It is a memorable novel that readers will find engaging and intellectually satisfying.