Jonah and the Great Fish by Warwick Hutton

Here is another morality tale involving fish (see This is Not My Hat). Simply retold and wonderfully illustrated, this one is out of print. I love Warwick Hutton’s work and hope more of his books (he specialised in retelling fairy tales, myths and Bible stories) may be republished.

It is such a familiar story that it might be easy to have it run off us like water from a duck’s back. If considered at all, it might to many feel like an archetype for oppression: do as I say, or it will be the worse for you.

But what if we read it as a myth of what happens when we try to ignore the guidance of our inner self or higher purpose. So here too is a story which can be shared in a way that helps a child to appreciate that she too has an inbuilt purpose in life, whatever it may turn out to be, and to encourage her in self-belief. Warwick Hutton’s paintings communicate not fear, but wonder, and undercut the idea of external and punitive judgement. But it also depends on the relationship between the adult and child sharing the book.