About This Book
Reach for this book when your child expresses doubt about their own capabilities or feels overlooked because of their age. It is a powerful choice for a child who needs to understand that bravery is not about being fearless, but about staying the course when others are not looking. This retelling of the classic Dutch folktale follows Jan, a boy with a reputation for a wild imagination, who discovers a small leak in the village dike and stays all night to hold back the sea with his own hand. The story explores deep themes of individual responsibility, the weight of a heavy task, and the quiet pride of community service. While the prose is accessible for elementary schoolers, the lush, oil-painted illustrations give the book a timeless, serious quality. It is an excellent bridge for discussing how small actions prevent big problems and why being dependable matters even when there is no immediate reward or audience.
