Review by Booklist Review
Holding a seashell necklace and a drawing of a mermaid, a girl wants to tell her mother about a new friend. Mom is busy and does not respond positively to the child's story, leaving the girl frustrated and angry. When the girl runs back to the ocean, the now-desperate mother chases and helplessly watches her child disappear into the water. Bright colors and digital art with the cheerful look of thick pastels belie the dark undertones of the narrative. The shell allows the girl to breathe underwater, and she and the mermaid have an exciting adventure looking for giants, which are whales. Eventually, though, she begins to miss her mother and decides to go home. The mermaid, in a water-filled wheelbarrow, comes for a visit, too, and presents the mom with a shell necklace of her own. As in Where the Wild Things Are, the child's strong emotions propel this tale of childhood wish fulfillment.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Cheong renders a quirky fable about a young girl with black hair and tan skin who finds herself bored with the world that she knows. She wants to explore something deeper: in this case, the ocean, alongside a crew of mermaids. Her mother watches helplessly as she takes a brave, cheerful dive into the waves. The ocean is a magical place, especially with her new friends, but eventually the girl realizes that she belongs "where the sun meets the sea" and in the arms of her mother. The writing is a bit abstract, and this is not a mermaid tale as much as a poignant story of longing and home. The digital illustrations are as painterly as brush applied to canvas. In keeping with its setting, the palette is dark and deep, with splashes of oranges and reds. Mermaids are depicted with a range of skin tones and body types, and the central mermaid is a freckled redhead. The illustrations are lovely and mildly ominous, which feels appropriate for a book about a child exploring the unknown. VERDICT A moody book about adventure and one's place in the world, this isn't essential but will find receptive readers.--Kate Newcombe
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child embarks on a fantastical underwater adventure with mermaids. The tan-skinned, black-haired protagonist befriends a mermaid, who gives the child a necklace. The youngster shows the gift to an adult, who inexplicably recoils and confiscates it. The child secretly finds the necklace, races down the dock, and dives into the water, where the mermaid awaits. In a nod to fairy-tale lore, the necklace gives the child the ability to stay underwater indefinitely. Other mermaids join the two, and the protagonist marvels at the beauty of marine life. But seeing a mermaid parent and child awakens old memories in the youngster. "I've had the most wonderful time," the child says. "But I'm coming back home." Minimal text describes the basics of the story but at times feels superfluous; the bulk of the narrative is propelled by the striking illustrations. Bold blues, oranges, and greens in textured strokes dominate the dramatic artwork. Though the characters are wonderfully expressive, readers may be confused about some elements of the plot, depending on what details they notice or overlook. Those who start reading after the title page, for instance, may wonder where the necklace came from; they'll need to flip back to see the earlier pages that show the mermaid giving it to the protagonist. A visually compelling, though at times cryptic, homage to the lure of adventure and the promise of home.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
