Mama, Across the Sea

This poignant tale captures a time of sadness, waiting and hope in the life of Cecile, a young island girl whose mother has left home in order to work. Cecile fills the long days of waiting for her mother's return by watching her grandfather mend his fishing nets, teaching her grandmother to write and gathering shells to send to her mother to make her want to come home. Godard, who was born in Guadeloupe and now lives in France, shows Cecile walking by herself along a beach of breathtaking beauty, visiting a fisherman and generally exhibiting a freedom of movement that many children would envy. When her mother writes that she has no days off and won't be coming to see her this year, Cecile cradles her head in her lap, her grief palpable to the viewer. Godard's story and his impressionistic paintings suggest the lush bounty and the struggle, resilience and dreams of Cecile's community. Cecile is last seen preparing to leave the island for the first time in order to visit her mother, ending the story on a note both somber and joyful. Ages 4-8. (June)