In a Village by the Sea

In a Village by the Sea written by Muon Van and illustrated by April Chu (2015)

The cricket who lives in a dusty hole in the kitchen of the small house above the waves, paints the sea. In the kitchen of the small house above the waves a woman cooks soup and the baby sleeps. In a small white boat on the sea in the storm a fisherman hopes the storm will pass quickly so he can return home to his family in the small house above the waves.

Poetically told, this story integrates the simple lives of people in fishing towns with the vastness of the sea. Their fear and dependence on the sea are one and the same. In many Asian countries, crickets represents good luck. And although the cricket in this story begins by painting a stormy sea, the final painting is a calm sea foretelling the safe return of the fisherman to his family and a happy ending.

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Here are a few examples of DIY crickets. Look around your house and see what you can use to make up one of your own.

 Good Luck Cricket.