Synopsis
Robbie says swimming is easy. You just have to pretend you’re a mermaid. But that doesn’t help Mairi. She isn’t even sure that mermaids are real!
Children's Literature
Mairi has a problem; she cannot swim. She wishes she could and she tries hard, but she just cannot do it. Still, she spends her day at the beach in the tidal pool, collecting sand crabs and envying the little sea critters who swim so naturally. Suddenly, she is bitten by a big ugly crab with a tiny mermaid in its grasp. Mairi begins a delightful adventure, helping the mermaid get back to her big rock, meeting the mermaid colony, and learning how to swim. There is little that is formulaic or rote about this book. It is a beautifully told story with just enough fantasy to engage its reader, but not enough to seem farfetched. Lucy Richards' illustrations are fun and lively. They enrich the text in a manner similar to a Greek chorus, adding dialogue and interactions beyond Morpurgo's words. In addition to adding dimension, dialogue bubbles within the illustrations provide further opportunity for reading practice. The book is part of the "Blue Bananas" reading primer series. For the not-quite-beginning reader, it offers a sophisticated reading experience to prepare for chapter books. Teachers' guides are available for the "Bananas" series.