Mermaids' Song to the Sea

by Dianna Hutts Aston, Renée Kurilla (Illustrator)

Overview

From acclaimed poet Dianna Hutts Aston (An Egg is Quiet) and #1 NYT bestselling illustrator Renée Kurilla (Just Because by Matthew McConaughey) comes a charming book in which three adorable mermaids share bedtime blessings with the sweet creatures of the coral reef.

Like Goodnight Moon, but for the creatures of the sea:

Bless clams in their beds, and lobsters in pods.
Bless sharks in their shivers, and squids in their squads.

In this gorgeous rhyming picture book perfect for cozy bedtime reading, three mermaid troubadours sing their blessings to sea creatures everywhere. “Bless clams in their beds, and lobsters in pods,” they sing. “Sharks in their shivers, and squids in their squads.” Draped with leis and strumming harps, the mermaids travel the ocean to deliver a benediction to their beloved community—fish, whales, sharks, sea snails and many more. Endpapers will identify all of the featured ocean creatures in this one-of-a-kind book that honors the denizens of the sea and brims with a gentle spirit of kindness and environmental awareness. With colorful, ethereal illustrations that will have young mermaid lovers turning the pages again and again, this special picture book is ideal for gift giving, vacation/staycation readalouds, or enjoying in a group storytime anywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662640285
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	04/30/2024
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 12.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dianna Hutts Aston is the award-winning author of many acclaimed picture books celebrating the awe and wonder of nature. Her seven titles in the An Egg is Quiet series include A Rock Is Lively, which was a 2022 Boston Globe Best Children’s Book of the Year. She wrote The Moon Over Star, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, which won a Caldecott Honor in 2008.

#1 New York Times Bestselling Illustrator Renée Kurilla is known for several books, including Orangutanka, Chicks Rule!, and the Ada Lace series. She is also the author-illustrator of several titles, including One Springy, Singy Day and The Flower Garden, a 2022 ALA Graphic Comics Round Table Best Graphic Novel Pick. Renee holds an BFA in illustration from Lesley University College of Art and Design.

Editorial Reviews

Get ready to be swept away!” — Read Brightly

​​"Hand this to fans clamoring for new mermaid titles; they’ll learn something, too."—Kirkus Reviews

"Adorable....a very sweet bedtime read for any mermaid-obsessed youngster." —Youth Services Book Review

"This delightful book celebrates marine life in language sure to resonate with little ones.” — Washington Parent

From the Publisher

2024-01-20
Cheery mermaids sing to their marine neighbors.

Three mermaids, sitting on a coral reef’s rock, pick up their harps and visit underwater friends at day’s end. They bless each finned and shelled resident, whether they dwell and swim in the sea as individuals or in groups. The trio also deliver blessings to mammals, such as otters and whales, and seabirds. Readers will learn interesting bits of information not only about the variety of fascinating creatures that live under the waves, but also about group names for some of these animals: herds of seahorses, squads of squids, and shivers of sharks. Children may be confused by some fish dubbed “kings,” “queens,” “goats,” “surgeons,” and so on, when what’s meant are kingfish, queenfish, goatfish, bat ray, surgeonfish, etc. The endpapers, featuring the creatures included in the book, accompanied by labels, are helpful, though there’s no mention that all these creatures wouldn’t live together in the same waters. At the end, the mermaids are also blessed as they bed down for the night. Overall, this bland, albeit genial, narrative will be most appreciated by mermaid mavens. The verse is sprightly, though sometimes clumsy, while the colorful digital illustrations, dominated by hues of green and blue, vividly depict adorable, anthropomorphized animals, undersea vegetation, and racially diverse mermaids.

Hand this to fans clamoring for new mermaid titles; they’ll learn something, too. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews