Yann Doutreleau is the youngest of seven brothers—all twins but him. He is undersized—only about two feet tall—and electively mute. His par ents believe Yann to be slow-witted, but this is far from the truth. Yann leads his brothers westward across France, evading authorities, until they reach the sea. The narrative voices, individual as each brother, parent, and stranger who encounters Yann, create a distinctive storytelling style that positions readers in the center of a gaggle of eyewitnesses, all vying to be heard. Mourlevat’s tale is a loosely based modern adaptation of Charles Perrault’s “Hop o’ My Thumb” (c.f., Andrew Lang’s The Blue Fairy Book, 1965, pp. 231–41). 2007 Batchelder Award, winner of France’s prestigious Prix Sorcières. lmp

Originally published as L’enfant Océan in French by Pocket Jeunesse France, in 1999. Translated by Y.

On a stormy night, little Yann Doutreleau wakes up his six older brothers, all twins. He lets them know that they must flee their home—or risk being killed by their violent father. Without question, the siblings follow Yann into the wet darkness. And so begins their remarkable odyssey toward the ocean—as well as an unforgettable story of brotherhood.

The social worker investigating the Doutreleau family, the truck driver who gives the boys a lift, the police officer who believes they've run away, the baker who gives them bread—each of the many people the seven boys encounter gives a stirring account of what he or she witnesses. The twins themselves add their voices, as do the Doutreleau parents; but not until the end of the journey does little Yann express his reasons for his galvanizing actions.


★ “A well-crafted mystery awaits anyone reading this fabled jigsaw puzzle. It is a memorable novel that readers will find engaging and intellectually satisfying.”—School Library Journal, Starred

★ “Mourlevat enchantingly blends the harshly real and the make-believe.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred


A Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
An ALA Notable Book
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book