Three Little Mermaids

by Mara Van Fleet, Mara Van Fleet (Illustrator)

Overview

Have a tea party undersea and practice counting with Three Little Mermaids, a sparkling interactive novelty concept book by bestselling creator Mara Van Fleet!

In Mara Van Fleet’s shimmering interactive novelty concept book, count from one to ten while you visit the bottom of the deep blue sea and meet sparkly fish, soft seals, dancing turtles, and a friendly octopus. With pull-tabs and touch-and-feel textures, never has counting been so much fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442412866
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	01/25/2011
Pages:	16
Sales rank:	548,030
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Mara Van Fleet has worked in children’s publishing for more than twenty years. She is the bestselling creator of Three Little Mermaids, Mama’s Pajamas, Night-Night Princess, and Little Color Fairies.

Mara Van Fleet has worked in children’s publishing for more than twenty years. She is the bestselling creator of Three Little Mermaids, Mama’s Pajamas, Night-Night Princess, and Little Color Fairies.

Editorial Reviews

On the cover of this chunky, interactive counting book, a tab makes a mermaid's purple tail swish back and forth in an effect reminiscent of recent titles by the author's husband, Matthew Van Fleet (Cat). Inside, the book counts to 10 while detailing the guest list for the mermaids' underwater tea party: "One friendly octopus brought some sticky treats" (its lollipop is sticky to the touch); four shimmering clown fish cart cupcakes and teabags; and eight sea horses play hide-and-seek in some kelp, thanks to another tab. The three mermaids appear in a simple pop-up in a final spread. This cuddly, sparkly, and shiny vision of undersea life should hit the spot for mermaid lovers. Ages 2–up. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

An abundance of glitter weighs down this counting story that begins when perky mermaids invite their friends to tea.

Guests all attempt to impress the girls with flattery as their number grows from one to 10. Dolphins don top hats and bowties; clown fish balance treats and utensils to please the hostesses. Some action energizes cheerful spreads, as when sea horses play hiding games and clumsy starfish spill their drinks. Thick tabs encourage small fingers to manipulate dancing sea horses or to grab crabs' pincers, though their success will vary with tabs' individual stickiness. A variety of interactive underwater elements, from sparkly touch-and-feel seals to the octopus' sticky lollipop, offer numerous ways to entice the young audience. Forced rhymes sink more than swim. "Nine hungry snails love delicious smells. / Ten sparkling jellyfish ringing lots of tea bells." The smiling party planners remain Barbie-esque in appearance with their slim stature, rosy cheeks, button noses, cascading hair and perpetual smiles, and the final expanding spread showcases all the characters in a trite conclusion.

Too much sparkle in this sea to whet the palate for repeat readings.(Board book. 1-3)

Kirkus Reviews