An illustrated own-voices fable about self-acceptance and pride from a member of the Irish Traveller nomadic ethnic minority
Drawn from the Irish Traveller oral storytelling tradition, DeBhairduin’s tale is a gentle allegory about difference, self-acceptance and different ways of seeing the world. Two slugs travel happily together as brothers, until they meet a crow who shows them that they have no home. Ashamed, one of the slugs decides to make himself a home, and calls himself snail. The brothers grow apart and become suspicious of each other. The slug with no shell-house feels ashamed until he learns to see that the very road he travels is his home, and so he shall never be homeless. The happy slug no longer sees himself through the judging eyes of others, but proudly asserts his place in the world and the two brothers travel happily together once more.
This sweet illustrated story carries a couple of lovely messages - that you should be happy with yourself and not let other people define you, that people can make different choices and still be friends - without preaching them at children, which is a fine line! Oein walks it beautifully here, keeping the whole thing entertaining and fun.
Special mention has to go to Olya's illustrations, bright, cheerful and full of details to be noticed in rereading. The brothers are full of personality and even the crow is a full character, despite only having a few lines.
This is a gorgeous book and hopefully not the last we hear of Oein and Olya.
The Slug and the Snail publishes on the 6th of July, 2023. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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