Tallulah: Mermaid of the Great Lakes. Denise Brennan-Nelson. Illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hatung. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press (Distributed in Canada by Saunders Books), 2015. 34 pp., hardcover, $17.99. ISBN 978-1-58536-909-6. Subject Headings: Mermaids-Fiction. Individuality-Fiction. Great Lakes (North America)-Fiction. Preschool-grade 1 / Ages 4-6. Review by Kaitlyn Vecchio. *** /4

excerpt:

I’ve searched in every ocean. I’ve been to every sea. I cannot find my gem; wherever can it be?

In this story, all young mermaids must go off and find their special gem which will provide them with special powers and turn their tails sparkly and bright. Tallulah, a mermaid that does not fit in well with the other young mermaids as she has a dull grey tail, ventures off for over a year looking for her gem. However, when she returns, she is exhausted and sad as she’s searched high and low, yet could not find her special gem. Sea Turtle offered her a suggestion, asking if she’s searched in the Great Lakes. Although the other mermaids scoffed, Tallulah takes the journey to the Great Lakes with Sea Turtle. After swimming for miles in the Great Lakes and exploring all of their beauty, she finally finds her special gemstone in a beautiful sandcastle near a white sandy beach on the shore of Lake Michigan. With a beautiful sunburst pattern, Tallulah holds her Petoskey stone and realizes she has discovered where she belongs. It was then that the Great Lakes found their very own mermaid. This story has a really nice “be yourself” message.

     The illustrations in this story are beautifully detailed. The endpapers in Tallulah are illustrated with a map of the Great Lakes which helps children to visually see the geography in the story.

     Tallulah: Mermaid of the Great Lakes can offer children who live in the Great Lakes region in Canada or the United States with a great local connection. It’s also a lovely bedtime read for any child who has an interest in mermaids.

Recommended.

Kaitlyn Vecchio is a Children’s Librarian at the Prince George Public Library in Prince George, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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Updated: October 17, 2014 (hsd)