The Old Mainer & The Sea

Jean Flahive has a passion for shedding light on lesser known pieces of Maine history, blending historical realities with works of fiction. She is co-author of two children’s picture books: Remember Me, Tomah Joseph’s Gift to Franklin Roosevelt, which won a 2009 Moonbeam Gold Award, and The Galloping Horses of Willowbrook, which was a finalist in the 2012 Maine Literary Awards. She is also the author of two young adult historical fictions, Billy Boy, the Sunday Soldier of the 17th Maine and Railroad to the Moon, Elijah’s Story. Her newest picture book, The Old Mainer and the Sea, is to be released by Islandport Press in October 2017. Jean and her husband live on the coast of Maine.

Author photo by Kevin Bennett

Mari Dieumegard is an artist and illustrator. She was born and raised in Alaska, but her home is a yellow house with purple doors near a lake in Maine which she shares with her husband and two children. She is a graduate of the Maine College of Art with a BFA in Painting. Her work can be found online at www.maridieumegardart.com and in personal collections across the United States.

"lean [and] eloquently simple" 
––Frank O. Smith

“Dieumegard's illustrations are composed of basic shapes and bright colors: trees are tall, stretched triangles, the water is marvelously swirled, and the fog's made up of elongated blobs piled on top of one another. . . . Elements of a legend and a folk tale combine to highlight the good deed of a hardworking Maine fisherman.”
—Kirkus Reviews

"Color and composition are richly used to bring to life moments of calm and moments of chaos . . . The two women have created a memorable story with their combined gifts as storytellers using words and images." 
—The Quoddy Times

“The book is a visual delight with a captivating story, a magic combination for young children.”
––Portland Press Herald

“A tender tale about an old fisherman and a porpoise, with a comfortable, happy ending. The moral: Kindness is always returned, some way, some time.”
––Bushnell on Books, Central Maine Newspapers