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Reviewed by:
  • The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney
  • Deborah Stevenson, Editor

Pinkney, Jerry, ad. The Little Mermaid; ad. and illus. by Jerry Pinkney. Little, 2020 [48p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780316440318 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs

Pinkney departs from both Andersen and Disney in his take on the beloved story of "The Little Mermaid." Here young Melody loves her life under the ocean but [End Page 187] seeks adventure above it, yearning for friendship with the girl she sees on the shore. She therefore trades her voice to the sea witch for legs, and it's well worth it: Zion, the girl on the beach, embraces Melody as a true friend and the two spend a day in happy seaside play. When word comes from the sea that Melody's father is in danger, though, she must leave her friend behind, reclaim her voice, and save her family. The emphasis on friendship rather than romance gives the story a new, more age-appropriate hook, and kids will definitely understand the immensity of giving up a friend; the text's hint that Melody will soon be adventuring again isn't particularly credible, so the ending is true to Andersen in being wistful and bittersweet. (It's also refreshing that Melody thinks to draw her story for Zion rather than remaining helplessly mute.) Pinkney's familiar line and watercolor art creates a softly elaborate ocean world for the merfolk but deftly plays up the wonders of topside as well, with a wide, sunny, gull-populated beach and an enticing lighthouse through which the dark-skinned girls frolic. It's a version that offers several "What would you do?" discussion points, and of course audiences will leap to compare it with Ariel's animated exploits. An author/illustrator's note explains his adaptations.

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