The Little Mermaid: Translated by Naomi Lewis

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author/ Translator: Naomi Lewis
Pages: 68

Summary(goodreads.com):
This magical story tells of a mermaid's thwarted love for a land-born prince, and her quest for an immortal soul that brings her face to face with an evil seawitch. Full of love, sacrifice and magic, The Little Mermaid is a charming classic.

My Review:
Amazingly-gorgeous art, a classic story in all its glory... This is a truly beautiful version of "The Little Mermaid". When I first saw this book on Amazon.com, I knew I was going to fall in love with the artwork the most: 

I mean WOW! Chris Birmingham did an amazing job with the artwork in this book. I also like how Naomi Lewis kept the original beauty of Hans Christian Anderson's original story, and really didn't change much. However, since the original story is a bit wordy, I do believe smaller children may have a hard time focusing on the story. This book really is a beautiful treasure, and anyone who loves "The Little Mermaid" as much as I do, will appreciate having this book in their collection. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.

-Sirenita The Selkie

Whatever After #3: Sink or Swim by Sarah Mlynowski

Book Type: Children's Literature/ Children's Novel
Author:  Sarah Mlynowski
Pages: 176

Summary(amazon.com):
Once again my brother and I are in hot water . . .
We weren't planning to mess up the fairy tales. The first two times we did it by accident. But when our magic mirror pulls us into the story of the Little Mermaid, we have no choice but to try and rewrite it. Let's just say the original story does NOT end happily!

My Review:
Have you ever read the classic story of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Anderson and wished the ending was different? Well, I wont give it away, but let's just say it is quite depressing! However, Sarah Mlynowski manages to change the classic fairytale into something fun and silly for children to read! When I first bought this book at a local Barnes and Noble, I was a bit skeptical since it seemed a bit juvenile at first, especially when I started to read it. But this book totally sucked me in, just like the magic mirror that sucks Abby and Jonah into stories! What I also love about this book is that children who read this will learn lessons such as following your conscious, standing up for others and doing the right thing. This book is a totally fun, silly and whimsical version of The Little Mermaid that made me laugh at times. I don't want to give too much away though! Go get this book for an awesome and modern version of The Little Mermaid! I definitely give this book (*****) 5 stars
-Sirenita The Selkie
PS: Here is a cool trailer of the first book: Click Here!

Mermaids: an Anthology : a Beautiful Illustrated Collection of Verse and Prose by Steve Dobell

Book Type: Collection of Classics
Author: Steve Dobell
Pages: 64

Summary(amazon.com):
This is a beautiful illustrated collection of verse and prose. It is a lavishly-illustrated and embellished collection, which contains songs of the sea, poems and myths of enchanting mermaids, who captivate sailors, artists and writers alike with their mystery and allure. It contains work from some of literature's greatest writers, including William Shakespeare, John Keats, Oscar Wilde and Alfred Lord Tennyson...This book brings together some of the greatest works of art to create a treasury of tales and illustrations in celebration of these seductive sea creatures. Beautifully designed, the book is a delight to give or to keep, and will be enjoyed by anyone who feels the powerful attraction of the mysteries of the oceans.

A Race With Mermaids and Tritons,
one of my favorite paintings featured in this book!

My Review:
Classic literature and art are sometimes lost with today's modern authors. I stumbled upon this book while splurging some Christmas gift money at a local Barnes and Noble. While digging amongst the shelves, I came across this beautiful little gem! I was not disappointed at all with my purchase! This book features some great poems from authors such as Shakespeare and John Keats, as well as Alfred Lord Tennyson, who have become some of my favorite classic literature authors after taking a college course on 18th century literature. In addition to the beautiful poems, short stories and sonnets in this collection, there is also a great amount of artwork that many mer-readers will enjoy. Anyone who loves classic literature, art and history will appreciate this book, and mer-readers, you must give it a try! I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Peabody's Mermaid by Guy and Constance Jones

Book Type: Novel
Author: Guy and Constance Jones
Pages: 184

Summary Of Movie Version (amazon.com):
Mr. Peabody, middle-aged Bostonian on vacation with his wife in the Caribbean, hears mysterious, wordless singing on an uninhabited rock in the bay. Fishing in the vicinity, he catches...a mermaid. He takes her home and, though she has no spoken language, falls in love with her. Of course, his wife won't believe that thing in the bathtub is anything but a large fish. Predictable complications follow in rather tame fashion.

My Review:
Although my love for "Mr. Peabody and The Mermaid" the movie is endless, "Peabody's Mermaid" was slightly disappointing to me. First, what I love about the book is that the language really reflects the the time period this was written in, around the 1940's. What I also love is that both authors were able to convey images through their writing, and when I was reading this, I felt like I really was at a beach party in the Caribbean! The mermaid, named Min in the book, was very similar to the mermaid in the movie, and has the same lovable and cute personality as well! However, what I didn't really enjoy about the book was that I feel a majority of this book was based on Mr. Peabody and how he is having a midlife crisis, which makes him have a depressed personality. I wish Min the mermaid was included more in the storyline, instead of being a side character. This book was also a bit slow at some points and was a bit boring. Another note that I do want to mention to readers is that this book is very old, and may be hard to find. However, if you did love the movie, this book will definitely be an awesome addition to your mermaid collection! Try looking on eBay or Amazon for a copy! 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

Mermaids and Magic Shows: The Paintings of David Delamare by David Delamare and Nigel Suckling

Book Type: Art Book
Author(s): David Delamare and Nigel Suckling
Pages: 128

Summary(amazon.com):

Gliding, golden, half-fish, half-woman, hair streaming behind her: from ancient folk tales to Hans Christian Andersen's beloved The Little Mermaid to films likeSplash!, these fantasy creatures entice children and adults alike. In artist David Delamare's richly imaginative paintings, they appear beautiful as never before, captured in a dreamy, wonderful sea world. Mermaid embryos lie curled inside bubble-like eggs, floating in the foamy water; another, with swirly tattoos covering her back, sits on a rock, gazing at herself pensively in the mirror; a third sits astride a dragon, her head thrown back in an expression of ecstasy. Also here: the deadly sirens, the "downside" of mermaids who lure men to their death with their irresistible song, plus Delamare's magical gallery paintings and book illustrations. 

My Review:

Although this is not a typical mermaid book, I am always entranced by David Delamare's work. The mermaids he creates are beautiful, sensual, and capture the essence of the sea. In this particular book, the authors discuss a bit about Delamare's inspiration for his art, some biographical information and facts about some of the paintings. Unfortunately, I bought this book without reading it first and I am disappointed I did. I feel a bit mislead by the cover. Although it features a mermaid and the title is "Mermaids and Magic Shows" there was only a brief section on Delamare's mermaid art. The rest was other illustrations and children's books he has done. If readers are sensitive to nude art I would advise to not even bother looking into this book. Much of Delamare's work features nude models. Here is a link if you are interested in buying or simply looking at Delamare's art: David Delamare Mermaid Gallery.

Overall, I give this book (***-****) between 3 and 4 stars.

-Sirenita The Selkie

The Little Mermaid Golden Book by Disney

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Disney
Pages: 64

Summary(amazon.com):
Ariel wants to be human and nothing—not even a nasty sea witch—is going to stop her. Girls ages 3–7 who are Disney Princess fans will love this beautiful hardcover storybook retelling of Disney The Little Mermaid, releasing on Diamond Edition DVD and Blu-ray October 2013!

My Review: 
While on vacation in Mystic Conneticut, I discovered a little book shop that had tons of children's books. I dug for hours in the shelves until I finally came across this gem! As mentioned above, this book was released for the Blue-ray edition of the movie. However, I was slightly disappointed with how much they cut out of the story line. Instead of the book opening up with the scene of Prince Eric on his ship, this book opened up instead with all the merfolk swimming into the palace for Ariel's first performance. Flotsam and Jetsam were not even mentioned until the "Kiss The Girl" scene! However, I do think this book had beautiful illustrations and they could pose as inspiration for someone who loves to draw mermaids, like me! I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie