The Legend of Elinea: The Guardian of the Oceans

Overview

Elinea, half-woman, half sea-goddess, embodies the struggle between different interests that push human beings to simultaneously waste the riches of nature and to fight to defend it from all forms of greed.
The illustrations are a true delight to the eye, delicate, luminous, and enchanting, creating a delightful and memorable reading experience for children of all ages.

“Delanssay’s ethereal figures dive and swoop like dolphins across the pages of this allegory about the plundering of the world’s oceans. In a dense, wordy narrative, Elinea, the guardian of the oceans, is captured by pirates with dragnets who exhaust the fisheries and trap innocent creatures; only Bastian, an emo-looking descendant of fishermen from a simpler time, can save her. […] Kids who thrill to outsize epics like The Lord of the Rings may be enthused about the story’s breathless quality and dramatic portrayal of good and evil, while younger listeners who can’t follow the story will be mesmerized by the artwork. Despite the book’s timely theme and the plug for Greenpeace at the end, the prose is too overwrought to be used as a springboard for discussion of environmental issues; it’s strictly bedtime story material.” Ages 7-up
–Publishers Weekly