The Little Mermaid: A Retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale
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A little sea princess, longing to be human, trades her mermaid's tail for legs, hoping to win the love of a prince and earn an immortal soul for herself.Marilyn Courtot - Children's LiteratureIn this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, a beautiful mermaid falls in love with a handsome prince and saves his life. He mistakenly thinks that the girl he spies upon awakening has been his rescuer. The mermaid decides that she wants to become human so that she can win his love, but she must sacrifice her voice in order to become human. While the prince seems to like her, he is betrothed and weds the girls who saved him. The mermaid has a chance to save herself by killing the prince but rather than do that deed she casts herself into the sea. Instead of perishing, she has a second chance to retain her human soul. This is not a simple story. Even it this retelling, I am not sure that it will be meaningful to the age of reader it is targeted to. The story, of course, is widely known. This summer I even visited the Little Mermaid on her rock in the harbor of Copenhagen, where a throng of kids were doing the same. The story must have resonated with them. The watercolor artwork is loose and since much of the setting is of water, it is filled with lots of blues and greens. Part of the "Read-it! Readers" series which come in four color-coded levels. Green, which is the level for this one, is the most complex. There is an opening note to parents and caregivers that explains the series structure and some tips for using the book. 2004, Picture Window Books, Ages 5 to 7.
