The Sea Man by Jane Yolen

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Jane Yolen
Pages: 41

Summary(amazon.com):
After the crew of a small Dutch ship pulls a half-man, half-fish creature from the sea, the lieutenant feels honor bound to return him to his domain. What the lieutenant doesn't know is that his compassion has earned him a guardian and a friend whose knowledge of the ocean will forever touch his life.

My Review:
Jane Yolen is an author that has been reviewed on this blog, and she is definitely a creative and imaginative writer. One of my favorite books that she wrote is titled, Neptune Rising  which you can view here. Naturally I was excited to read this, especially since there aren't many books on mermen. The story/plot immediately takes off with no hesitation, and the captivating black and white illustrations help keep the story interesting and also helps the depict the many emotions both the sailors and the merman face. What I also loved is that the story was not written in a juvenile fashion, even though it was in the children's section of the library. Yolen also mentions that this book is based off a real account of a merman sighting! Cool! I do have to mention though, for a kid's book, it was startlingly depressing! The poor merman is thrown around the cabin, left to almost suffocate by the ruthless sailors, and almost dies, leaving his family fatherless! I don't really recommend this as something a child should read right before they go to sleep, but it was definitely an original tale that merfolk will like. I give this book (****) 4 stars. 
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Merman by Dick King-Smith (5)

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Dick King-Smith
Pages: 112

Summary(amazon.com):
While vacationing in Scotland, Zeta meets a rather unusual fellow. He's a terrific swimmer. He chats with seals. And he has a fish tail. Marinus is a merman -- definitely not your average summer friend. Who else could teach Zeta everything from swimming to astronomy to French? Everything's an adventure when Marinus is around, and as the summer ends, Zeta knows she'll miss her new friend terribly.
Luckily, Marinus has one last surprise in store for her -- one that will last a lifetime. . . .

My Review:
I had read one of Dick King-Smith's books before tittled "The Waterhorse"(I will be making a blog on sea monsters soon too!) and I absolutely adored it. Since I first picked up this book last night and began reading it, I just couldn't put it down. It was very charming and I loved the teacher-student relationship that Zeta and Marinus had, and how he taught and showed her so many things that enhanced her knowledge. I also loved that the author chose a merman instead of a mermaid, since most stories featuring a female human almost always has a mermaid. It was a different element that I had never seen before. What I liked most about this book was that it was simple and had a very nice plot, but the ending was bittersweet. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie