Nen and the Lonely Fisherman

Product Information

In the forbidden world above, a kind fisherman wonders if something more is waiting for him beyond the horizon.

Spelling Seeds have been designed to complement Writing Roots by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum and a suggestion of how to extend the investigation into home learning. One lovely way to explore identity with this book would be through the origin of names. Nen is a name of Egyptian origin that means ancient waters. Nen’s father is Pelagios of Greek origin meaning from the sea and Ernest is of German origin meaning serious and warrior. Names chosen with meaning and purpose by the author. Far out to sea and deep below the whispering waves lives a merman called Nen. Nen spends his days exploring his underwater kingdom, but something is missing: his heart is empty. So, Nen ventures to the forbidden world above and it is here that he meets Ernest, a lonely fisherman. But can two people from different worlds be together and what will happen when a terrifying storm gathers? A lyrical, beautiful celebration of love, acceptance and faith, with a gentle message about how we treat our oceans, and each other. A Book of Bravery and HopeHaving taught in primary schools for 13 years, I can honestly say that this is not the type of thing that children need to be shielded from. Learning about different, diverse relationships and people encourages children to see beyond their own world and gives them the ability to empathise with others. James Mayhew, the illustrator, felt that we would have no concerns or worries about showing a prince and a mermaid holding hands. Why should we shy away from depicting a loving relationship full of hope and wonder?

Oh so many! As a kid who was growing up confused about his identify and sexuality, I so wish I had had access to diverse and inclusive stories. I love Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love – it’s a gorgeous, defiant story which tells us that we are all special and deserve to be loved. Nen’s father has warned him not to go to the land where the humans are destroying his ocean, but Nen goes anyway. In his frustration Pelagios becomes angry and causes a raging storm which tips Ernest from his boat. Nen seeks him in the deep dark depths, is all lost? Will Nen be able to find the fisherman in time? And if so, will they be able to overcome adversity and have the friendship they long for? While on supply I was also able to link it to other expressive arts, using drama techniques and roleplay to delve deeper in to the characters through hot-seating and using freeze frames to discuss aspects of the story. These tied closely to discussions around identity, health and wellbeing, as well as child-parent relationships. Nen is a Merman, who spends his days exploring the ocean and all the treasures beneath the waves. He is happy but also missing something important from his life - companionship. That is until he meets Ernest, a fisherman who devotes his life to 'rescuing, freeing, collecting, dreaming ... and creating!'. The match feels pre-destined: both Nen and Ernest are kind and caring but lonely, looking for their soulmate.Hopeful’, ‘kind,’ ‘lovely’ and ‘beautiful’ are just a few of the words used by my current class to sum up Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton, illustrated by James Mayhew and published by Owlet Press. The best pieces of advice I’ve always been given are from my Mum .She was a primary school teacher too and always helped me and let me chat about my day and what had happened. Places in the world where names originated from – get a world map and plot where the names originate from.