(34) Pretty Pearl Mermaid by Mary Man-Kong

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Mary Man-Kong
Pages: 32

Summary(goodreads.com):
Girls ages 4–6 will love learning to read on their own with this Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader based on Barbie's latest film.

My Review:
Step-Into-Reading is a great resource for mer-children learning to read. It features large text with short sentences, but the details of this beautiful story are never lost. The illustrations are also bright and colorful, which keeps the young reader's attention. Although this book contains a lot of the major details, I just think the book can't compare to the movie! I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(2) Barbie In A Mermaid Tale Step Into Reading by Christy Webster

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Christy Webster
Pages: 32

Summary(amazon.com):

Barbie fans will love this Step 2 reader based on the latest Barbie DVD movie!

My Review:

Step-Into-Reading is a great resource for children learning to read, especially when their books feature mermaids like Merliah! What I liked most about this book is that although the sentences are short, none of the detail from the movie was cut out! I also loved the pictures, which are beautiful and vibrant; perfect for keeping young reader's attention and interest in the book. Although children, especially young mer-girls will love learning to read through Merliah's mermaid adventure, adults will loose interest quickly since it features short sentences and words. Also, there was one small detail that really bothered me. If you look at the back of the book, you will notice in the book summary that they got Merliah's name wrong! Look:

 I just couldn't believe that the main character's name is spelled wrong. Other than that, I loved this book, the illustrations, and it's perfect for young mers learning to read! I give this book (****) 4 stars.

-Sirenita The Selkie

Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2 Junior Novelization by Molly McGuire

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Molly McGuire
Pages: 128

Summary:
A novelization of Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2

My Review:
Barbie In A Mermaid Tale  is one of my favorite mermaid movies! However, the junior novelizations are not the same as watching the eye catching, colorful and captivating movies. All the original quotes were kept, and the text is not juvenile. In addition, McGuire stayed true to the original plot, and no detail was cut out. There is also four to six pages dedicated to pictures depicting the scenes in the book. Even though this book has all the original pizazz, it just is not the same. It's actually a bit boring to read through the scenes instead of watching what's going on. Go see the movie! I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Barbie as the Pearl Princess: Magical Mermaid Adventure by Mary Man Kong

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Mary Man Kong
Pages: 16

Summary(amazon.com):
Barbie stars as Lumina, a mermaid who dreams of being a princess. As long as she can remember, she’s had a magical power that makes pearls dance and glow! Lumina, and her best friend Kuda, a pink seahorse, embark on an adventure to a majestic mer-kingdom. There, she uses her powers to help her friends prepare for the Royal Ball. Lumina then discovers that her magical pearls are the key to unlocking her true destiny and ultimately saving the kingdom.


My Review:
I was so excited when this new mermaid movie came out, especially because I've always loved Barbie! At first, I thought it was going to be very similar to Barbie In A Mermaid Tale but the story line is actually very different. I have to admit; I was slightly disappointed by this book. It doesn't exactly follow the plot of the movie. For example, although in the book the reader sees Scylla taking Lumina out of her crib and stealing her, we never actually see this in the movie. A good chunk of detail was cut out. However, the book was okay. Hopefully I can find a better version! I give this book (*** - ****) between 3 and 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Barbie: A Mermaid's Tale Junior Novelization by Shannon Penney

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Shannon Penney
Pages: 96

Summary(amazon.com):
Barbie is back in a brand new underwater adventure!

In the newest Barbie movie, Barbie plays Merliah, a popular surfing sensation . But everything changes when her hair starts turning pink and she can suddenly breathe underwater. Then she meets a dolphin named Zuma who reveals that Merliah is actually a mermaid princess. Merliah's mother, Queen Calissa, has been imprisoned by her evil sister Eris and the mermaid kingdom of Oceana is in trouble. Merliah will need the help of her above water friends and her new underwater friends to save Oceana! But first she'll have to learn what makes her different might be her greatest strength!

My Review:
Barbie is a girl everyone can relate to, and I truly believe there is a Barbie movie out there for every girl! What I loved about this book was that even though it is meant for kids learning to read chapter books, it didn't come off as super juvenile. It was actually written very well! I also loved that the book was perfectly based off the movie, and the author even kept some of the original quotes, and every last detail from the movie was incorporated. The pictures were also beautiful and matched the vibrancy of the movie. Something that kind of annoyed me was the enlarged text, which older mergirls might find annoying. What also annoyed me was the fact that Merliah's friend Fallon is supposed to be African American, however, her skin is noticeably lighter. Just keep the characters the way they are! Ugh! I really do recommend reading this if you loved the movie. I give this book (****) 4 stars. 
-Sirenita The Selkie
PS: Here is a review of the movie! Click HERE

Barbie: A Sea of Friends by Rita Balducci

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Rita Balducci
Pages: 55

Summary:
Barbie joins her friend on an adventure and learns that people who are different can be friends too

My Review:
I first found this book when I was looking into buying some mermaid barbie dolls for my collection. However, I used to have this book when I was little and I still adore it to this day! I really love some of the concepts mentioned in this book, such as being adventurous, instead of just sitting and staring at the mirror, friendship despite differences, problems that ocean life must go through and helping those in need. I found this book to be very mature for a barbie book and it surprised me. I must share this quote with you, merfolk!

"Barbie sighed. "Most mermaids are afraid of people," she told Eva. "They hear of humans in boats who hunt their whale friends. They see trash dumped into the water. They hear seagulls talk about places where all the fish are dying," (Balducci 26). 
   
This quote shocked me completely, especially a topic like this in a kids book! As you can see by the cover, the images are very unique; they are photographs of an actual Barbie surrounded by her sea-friends. The photos in here were absolutely incredible. If you love mermaids AND Barbie as much as I do, go check this little treasure out. I loved it! I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie