Review: Once Upon a Harbour, by Fiona Farrell and David Elliot

Filled with charm and wit, Once Upon a Harbour is a treasure trove of wonderfully unpredictable tales. Houses blown away on windy adventures, pirate mice battling seagulls for a tasty pie, sea monsters playing dress-up, and trees throwing parties. You never quite know where the author and illustrators' imaginations will transport you next, and that unpredictability is what makes the book so enchanting. 

Farrell has received critical acclaim across a variety of genres and has been a finalist for all three categories at the NZ Book Awards for fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her writing is notable for its versatility and its underlying depth. There’s a lively charm to her storytelling. In Once Upon a Harbour, the humour shines through each tale, yet beneath it lies deeper meanings to uncover.

The book is a wonderfully successful collaboration between Farrell and award-winning illustrator, David Elliot, their artistic sensibilities working in easy harmony throughout. Elliot draws on both real encounters – like the fat brown rat he once saw scuttling under a boatshed at Back Beach – and imagined ones, such as the sea monsters he pictured lurking in the caves at Long Beach. His illustrations, reminiscent of the classic art of E.H Shepard, bring each story to life with a gentle touch that young readers will adore. 

Once Upon a Harbour is a fantastic book that will captivate all ages – sure to become a household favourite.