AshehougAgency

Medusa the Jellyfish

Medusa the Jellyfish falls in love with Prince Gelonius. The prince wants to dance with Medusa at the ball. But the wicked Cyannéa conspires to marry the prince and become queen of the Jellyfish Sea. Before the ball, Medusa seeks a mirror – the hull of a boat. But in a bay near the harbour, her tentacles are caught in a sea urchin. She finds herself stuck at the bottom of the sea. In her struggle to get loose she receives help from Isenkram the Crab, Kallemarie the Squid, her little sister Moril and the brave whiting boy, Sølve. But above all, Medusa must help herself to freedom. She fights obnoxious seagulls, hungry starfish, creepy moon jellies, and the waning tide. Medusa matures in the process and gets ready to face the wicked Cyannéa back at the ball.

In Medusa’s world we also meet a salmon with a louse problem, an amorous and sulky catfish, ten million hardy barnacles, camouflaged pipefish, birthing sea horses and a giant octopus that can transform into just about anything. A constant danger is the merciless propeller that chops jellyfish into jellymash.

The animals’ urge to survive and reproduce is an important theme. Responsibility, freedom, courage and honesty are key topics on the way to a happy ending. Medusa the Jellyfish by Margrethe Geelmuyden is a story from the sea bottom for children aged 6 to 12. Educational facts about animals are naturally blended into the exciting and funny storyline.

The Norwegian edition of the book includes a CD with catchy children’s songs, written and produced by Åshild Watne. The songs are performed by children and adult singers, backed by talented young jazz musicians.

First published: 2010, Aschehoug
Margrethe Geelmuyden: Biography and bibliography