Alex Field (text), Owen Swan (illus.), Happily Ever After: The Little Mermaid, New Frontier Publishing, March 2018, 24pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925059816
Of the Sea King’s six daughters, only Ariel finds it difficult being a mermaid and longs for sunshine and flowers. At 15 she visits the surface where she sees a passing ship that is shortly destroyed in a storm. She rescues a drowning prince but as she cannot follow him on land, she exchanges her voice for a pair of legs. No longer able to speak or sing, her chances of marrying her prince vanish – until her father restores her voice.
One of a series of five picture books in which classic fairy tales are retold with a twist. This is a much simplified version of the Hans Christian Andersen tale with an unequivocal happy ending. Over the years there have been many editions of this fairy tale with illustrations of varying quality. Owen Swan has created a magical under-sea world of elegant mermaids in contrast to a couple of drawings of the human figures that are somewhat stiff. The endpapers depicting an early map provide an imaginative touch. Suitable for ages 4-8.
Teachers Notes can be found on the New Frontier website.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas
