Book Type: Children's Literature Author: Robyn Bryant Pages: 29 Summary: An adaptation of the classic tale, "The Little Mermaid." My Review: While shopping for mermaid books (as I usually do when I have free time) I came across this gem. Sadly though, this gem is a bit less shiny and polished than I expected.
First off, I would just like to say, this book is pretty small, maybe a little bit bigger than a Galaxy phone. This kind of disappointed me; I wanted something a lot bigger! What I always find most important in any children's literature is the images that steal our hearts and our attention, and this book definitely scored an A.
I love the graceful mermaid tails and the scales, even though its a pet peeve of mine when a mermaid somehow has a tail that extends over her chest... to me, its just weird.
The illustrations are vibrant and catchy. I did however, find some plot flaws that made me go, "Huh?" First off, Bryant introduces us to Coraline, who is the Little Mermaid. Where did she get this name from? It's very random, and I wish she just stuck with the Little Mermaid like many versions of Anderson's tale. She is not supposed to have a name, and the name choice is just too human. Almost every single female character in this book looks the same, and this did not add any dimension to the story. Also, I found it to be extremely out there that when Coraline turns into a human, she is wearing a dress made of scales? That is just too weird. The actual literature is not cheesy or juvenile, and the author put her own spin on some minor parts in the plot, which I enjoyed. Sadly, there was not anything super special or interesting about this version, except the artwork. Check out some other cooler versions on my blog, if you love The Little Mermaid. I give this book (***) 3 stars. -Sirenita The Selkie