Ariel's Royal Wedding by Apple Jordan

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Apple Jordan
Pages: 32

Summary:
Ariel needs help to prepare for her first wedding as a human!

My Review:
Ariel is one of my favorite princesses, and I was so excited to read about her wedding. I really love how cute this book was, and I felt bad that Ariel was nervous and stressed while planning her wedding! This girl needed some help. I also loved that this book shows that family needs to be present at big celebrations, especially when uniting a kingdom of sea and land! The illustrations, as with many Disney books, were vibrant and full of inspiration for artists! Little merchildren will love reading this before bedtime.  I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

PS: This book also comes with a story about Sleeping Beauty!

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Dolphin Adventure by Lyra Spenser

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Lyra Spenser
Pages: 32

Summary:
Prince Eric wants to help Ariel connect with her friends from the sea by creating a small grotto for her and her fishy pals to relax in! But when a baby dolphins gets trapped in the grotto, how will Eric and Ariel release him?

My Review:
I really loved this cute Little Mermaid book! It was a very short story, but it was so sweet. The artwork is so beautiful and vibrant, which is perfect to keep little merchildren entertained and focused, but also great for people who love to draw Ariel :)
I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
PS: This book also comes with a Snow White story!
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Little Mermaid And Other Fishy Tales by Jane Ray

Book Type: Story Collection
Author: Jane Ray
Pages: 176

Summary(goodreads.com):
The sea is full of mystery and enchantment—and this extraordinary collection captures every drop of its magic. Retold and illustrated by the renowned picture-book artist Jane Ray, The Little Mermaid and Other Fishy Tales features an international selection of captivating stories and poems: “The Fisherman and His Wife,” “Whalesong,” “Lobster Quadrille,” “The Ballad of John Silver,” and many more.

My Review:
I stumbled upon this book while looking for mermaid books on my public library's online catalog. As soon as I opened the book, I was amazed at the beautiful pictures! They really help breathe life into the story. I really liked this collection of stories. The font was large, so one can finish this within an hour and a half, and I found it perfectly suitable for kids as well. I also loved how diverse this collection was, and had stories from different parts of the world. Jane Ray, the author of this book, also wrote, Can You Catch A Mermaid? which is also reviewed on this blog. Her creativity really shines in her adaptation of The Little Mermaid. It was so fantastic, I actually wished that Hans Christian Anderson wrote her version over his own! This was a fantastic and short read  if you love water creatures of all kinds. I give this book (*****) 5 stars. 
-Sirenita The Selkie

Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea by Varla Ventura

Book Type: Collection of Short Stories and Ocean Facts
Author: Varla Ventura
Pages: 238

Summary(goodreads.com):
From Homer's 'Odyssey' to 'Pirates of the Caribbean', mermaids have fascinated popular culture for centuries. This is an enchanting collection of classic stories, facts and tales of mermaids from around the world that will thrill every lover of this romanticised mythological creature.

My Review:
I received this book as a surprise from my selkie mom, and was so excited to read it that I nearly squealed like a seal pup! Sadly, my squeals of excitement turned to moans of frustration and boredom.



Boring Stories and Odd Tidbits:
I began first with a mermaid tale that was Irish in origin... then another Irish legend, and another! The stories in this book lack diversity. About 75 percent of the stories in here seem to have an Irish background, but I wanted other stories from other countries, not just one! I also found the language in these stories to be antiquated, and I wish Ventura updated them for modern mer-readers. I also had another problem while reading this book; there weren't any breaks between the author explaining a subject, and a story being told, and this made me confused as to when a story was stopping and starting.
I also found the small facts in this book to be out of place and not needed. For example, Ventura put in information about pirates and nautical terms, but if this is a mermaid book, why was this added? I felt that this was just "fluff" as they say, used to just fill the book. The last story had nothing to even do with mermaids, and was so boring that I had to stop reading it! :(


No, No, No!:
Selkies are also briefly mentioned in this book... but have blond hair! This seems incorrect to me, since many legends about selkies mentioned beautiful black or brunette tresses. And I should know!
Only two mermaid performers, named Hannah Fraser and Mermaid Mizuko are mentioned, and I think this was wrong of Ventura. There are so many brilliant mermaids swimming nowadays who have different causes, and although I respect what they do, Hannah and Mizuko aren't the only ones. Mermaid Raina also teaches young children to respect the ocean through demonstrations and lectures. Eric Ducharme was also mentioned in this book, and Ventura even recommends his store if you want your own custom tail. However, from my online searches I have seen that he has had a lot of negative feedback as to how he conducts himself and how his tails turn out. I think Ventura should have also added in FlipTails and Merbella Studios; both of them make INCREDIBLE tails!


Bad Mer-Reccomendations:
Towards the back of the book, Ventura recommends some good movies, such as Splash! and Mr. Peabody And The Mermaid, but also recommends Peter Pan and Harry Potter, which only involve a few minutes of mermaids, not a whole movie! I was surprised that H20 wasn't mentioned, something I plan on reviewing myself in the future.

In conclusion, I feel that Ventura really missed the mark on this book. There seemed to be a lack of real research into creating a diverse and well thought mermaid book, and this was disappointing. Unfortunately, I give this book (**) 2 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Mermaids: The Myths, Legends and Lore by Skye Alexander

Book Type: Short Story Collection/ Information about mermaids/ Cultural diversity/ Mythology
Author: Skye Alexander
Pages: 224

Summary(goodreads.com):
The allure and mystery of mermaids has taken hold of our psyche for ages. From the Irish merrows who come on land to search for human husbands to the fake Fiji Mermaid made popular by P.T Barnum, these sea maidens (and sometimes men) can be found in folklore and mythology from every tradition in the world.

Inside this captivating collection, complete with beautiful illustrations throughout, you'll discover the myths surrounding these enigmatic beings, explore the common symbols associated with them, and learn tales of merfolk from around the world. Dive into "Mermaids" and get swept away!


My Review:
When I first picked up this book, I was a bit worried that I would become bored, especially since traditional tales was never my cup of sea salt. However, my thoughts quickly changed and I fell flukes over fins for this book! 
What I loved most about this book is how thorough it was; it really covered every aspect of the mermaid legend, and even what mermaids mean in pyschology! Cool! Ive never really thought of why mermaids have such sex appeal until I read this. Sure, they flaunt their beautiful bodies, but they are dangerous and elusive, which Alexander also explores in depth. 

Traveling The World: Different Legends From Around The Globe:

Alexander also explains that in different parts of the world, mermaids can mean good fortune or an ill omen, and this was really interesting to compare and contrast different meanings in other cultures and countries. Some of the countries you will visit are Mesopotamia (The Middle East), Great Britian, Ireland, Denmark, Russia, Africa, India, Australia and North America. I truly loved the diversity of this collection, and loved exploring what different parts of the world think about mermaids. I had never heard of some of the legends mentioned in this book, so it was refreshing to see some new mers! 

I also loved that throughout the book, Alexander has little passages about mermaid sightings. Did you know Christopher Colombus and Henry Hudson saw mermaids? Maybe it was a selkie, like me! :)

More Than Just Mers:

Here are some of the creatures besides mermaids mentioned in this book:
- Ondines     -Sirens     -Mermen     -Water Gods and Godesses     -Selkies
- Nixes 
The legend of Matthew Trewella is even in this book, which is the base of the Ingo Series!
But there is so much more! 

The Negative:
The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that if you are not interested in traditional stories or old tales and fables, even classic literature, this book might not be the choice for you. At times, the book can be a bit boring since many of the stories are similar with slight differences in plot.

This book was an awesome find for my mermaid library! I love how rich and diverse it was, and it's a great resource for those who want to learn more about different water creatures and diverse cultures. I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Flipping The Scales by Pete Tarsi

Book Type: Young Adult (YA)
Author: Pete Tarsi
Pages: 250

Summary(goodreads.com):
When the translucent skirt that straight-A-student Meredith finds hidden on the beach gets wet, it transforms her legs into a mermaid tail. Despite the evidence in front of her, she insists that becoming a mythical creature isn’t scientifically possible.
Marina is allowed to experience one day per moon cycle among the humans. After hiding her tail on the beach that morning, she takes her first timid steps on land. When she returns at sunset to find it missing, she is left stranded and alone.
For the first time in her life, Meredith doesn’t have all the answers. As she searches for a way to return to normal before the next full moon, she makes waves among the school of mermaids. Meanwhile, Marina uncovers information about her past, and for the first time in her life, she must stand on her own two feet and take the lead on her own adventure.
As Meredith senses her human side slipping away, a forbidden way to change back entices her. But it comes with a consequence: Marina wouldn’t be able to return to the ocean.

My Review:
** I was given this book by Pete Tarsi in exchange for an honest and fair review. **

It's a funny story of how I heard of this book. I was contacted on goodreads.com by the author, Pete Tarsi himself! He asked me to review and read his book and give an honest review.  Well merfolk, I can honestly say that this was an awesome mermaid book! I also thought the cover was cute and eye catching. Not only was the tail beautiful, but the girls on the front helped me to picture what the characters look like. 

The Characters:
The first thing I loved about the book were the characters. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about a male author writing about teenage girls, especially about how the dialogue would play out. However, Tarsi created female dialogue that was realistic, but also extremely charming and funny! There were two characters that I really identified with. One of the girls is named Meredith, and she is a total bookworm (like me!) and also gets annoyed with girl drama and air-headedness (also like me!)  I also really loved Hailey. She is a bit of a goof, and she's totally funny, and to some, hard to take seriously. However, she has a big heart, especially when it comes to mermaids. Her collection in her room reminds me of my own, and it even made me a bit emotional to read about the special items in her collection. 

The Setting:
The island where the story takes place reminded me so much of my home; Long Island, especially the eastern end, which is known as a beautiful vacation destination. The details were clear and focused, which helped me to immerse myself into the plot. 

The Plot:
I really loved that Tarsi took a different spin with this book. With so many mermaid YA books out there, the plot only involves elements about romance, or a mermaid's curiosity with humans. The plot in this book is unique and I really enjoyed reading it! 
I think the only negative thing I have to say about this book is that I wish there was a bit more shock and surprise when Jill, Meredith's best friend, finds her with a mermaid tail.

In conclusion, I really recommend checking this book out. It was fun and girly, and also teaches the value of friendship, but most of all, it was filled with mermaidness!
I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie