My Cousin's Mermaid: A Story from Poland

by Anna Staniszewski, Ewa Poklewska-Koziello (Illustrator)

Overview

“A heartwarming and necessary story about building family connections across cultural divides . . . A worthy purchase for any children’s collection, especially those serving immigrant populations.” - School Library Journal

On a trip to visit her cousin in Poland, a child initially struggles with not feeling “Polish enough.” She finds it hard to understand her aunt’s quick Polish speech and feels embarrassed at her own attempts to speak Polish. When she and her cousin discover their shared love of fairy tales, though, they bond instantly and set off together on an adventure across the city of Warsaw to find Syrenka Warszawska (the Mermaid of Warsaw). Endnotes include Polish words and pronunciations, as well as information about Polish history, Polish fairy tales and Warsaw landmarks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798888590058
Publisher:	Barefoot Books
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,037,046
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.75(h) x 0.34(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. She was a Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library and a winner of the Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. Currently, Anna lives south of Boston, Massachusetts with her family and teaches courses on writing and children’s literature. She is the author of over twenty books for young readers, including the novels Clique Here and The Wonder of Wildflowers; the picture books Dogosaurus Rex and Beast in Show; and the Once Upon a Fairy Tale chapter book series. annastan.com

Ewa Poklewska-Koziełło was born in Gdańsk, but currently she lives in Sopot, Poland. She studied architecture at the Technical University of Gdansk, where she found she was much more attracted to the decorative details of her architectural plans than to the technical aspects of them. This realization led her to become an illustrator. Today, she has published several dozen books, coursebooks and children magazines, and has participated in many exhibitions of illustrations. She has been nominated for the IBBY prize several times. Her artwork combines traditional and digital techniques: she begins by hand painting using gouaches, acrylics and crayons on paper and then incorporates further details on the computer. ewapoklewskakoziello.com

Editorial Reviews

A heartwarming and necessary story about building family connections across cultural divides . . . A worthy purchase for any children’s collection, especially those serving immigrant populations.” - School Library Journal

“A reassuring and warm tale of family connections” – Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2023-07-26
Natalia and her mom are returning to Warsaw, Poland, to visit Natalia’s aunt and cousin Karolina.

Natalia feels uncertain, given her lack of confidence speaking Polish, and initially struggles to connect with Karolina. However, the two girls soon bond over a shared love of storytelling and mermaids as they stroll through the city. Karolina points out the statue of the Syrenka Warszawska, the Mermaid of Warsaw, who’s said to protect the city’s residents. Worried, Natalia asks if the mermaid will protect her, too (“I’m not really Polish,” she says, presumably because she lives elsewhere), but Karolina’s affirming response is a touching reminder that visits to a family’s country of origin can be an important, empowering experience. Poklewska-Kozietto highlights the beauty of Warsaw’s architecture and apartment living with incredible details such as beautiful wrought-iron balconies, houseplants, and fountains. The bright colors pop, especially when depicting a range of building types and varied textures. The characters are drawn with delightful rosy-circled cheeks; almost all are light-skinned, including Natalia and Karolina. Polish phrases are interspersed throughout with on-the-page phonetic pronunciations and English translations, making this an accessible text for non-Polish speakers. The backmatter includes useful and engaging information on Poland, its language, its landmarks, and its folklore. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A reassuring and warm tale of family connections. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews