by Susan Cooper
First published 1986
A young Welsh shepherd's sweet harp playing earns him a wondrous reward: a silver cow, given by the mysterious magic folk of the lake. The cow's endless supply of silver makes the boy's family wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But when the father's greed leads him to mistreat the magical bovine, the enraged lake spirits exact a terrible vengeance, plunging the family into a fight for their very lives. In this captivating folklore tale, a simple act of generosity spirals into a high-stakes supernatural battle, where the true riches lie in the bonds of family and the preservation of the natural world's mystical powers.
Genres: fantasy, supernatural, magical-realism, folklore
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, supernatural
Setting: Wales
32 pages · Hardcover · Margaret K. McElderry