Mummy and the Sea
Mummy and the Sea
Sara Stridsberg, illustrated by Anna-Clara Tidholm“The pink flowers in the tree were as big as my head. I remember how Mummy Pretty suddenly stood up on the toilet lid one day after we had all been having a bath together, the whole family. She had been trying to read the newspaper again and Tiger and me had been boxing at it. Now bits of paper were floating around in the water.
’Hello diver,’ I said. ’What are you up to now?’
’Hello Milou. I’m just popping out for a while,’ she said, and then dived into the toilet and was gone.”
One day Tiger and Milou’s mummy disappears. She dives straight down the toilet and disappears. Tiger is sad but Milou decides to do something about the situation and dives after her. This is the start of an epic journey through drain-pipes, sewage treatment systems and the wide open sea. Mummy Pretty is found on a little sandy beach where she has gone for a rest and to be alone for a while. After a lovely day on the beach together Milou and Mummy Pretty decide to return to the rest of the family. But first Mummy Pretty has to promise to leave the distracting newspaper behind on the beach.
A story about the need to be on your own sometimes and how difficult that can be for the people who want to be with you. And also a story about the love between parent and child, about longing, and the big, difficult issues.
