Mermaid Lullaby

Artist and author Briana Corr Scott’s latest ethereal ode is to… mermaid babies! This sweet and short board book features gleaming illustrations of infant merchildren being lulled to sleep by the many elements of their ocean homes (mamas, waves, sea birds). This is an undeniable dreamy little board book that my own two-year-old daughter adored. In a world of mermaid items featuring glitter and saturated tones, this nature toned gentle work is as soothing to the parent reader as it might be to any mermaid-loving child.

The short text of Mermaid Lullaby is, for me, where the work could be strengthened. It is clear that Scott is a visual artist who delights in the intersections of nature and magic. When visual artists write their own text, it occasionally leads to a disjoint in quality. For me, that has happened in Mermaid Lullaby; while the imagery glows, the words fall slightly flat. The opening verses that don’t rhyme, while refreshing, do seem at odds with the following rhyming ones. Textually, it also remains unclear why the Mer-moms on page 2 are gathering pearls before bedtime. Granted, this did not bother my daughter in the least. While she poured over all the merbabies (“Ma-bay”s), the work would really shine with clearer prose.

Parents whose child delight in the artwork will be pleased to note that Scott’s mermaid art is available as print-out coloring pages, for personal use only, on the artist’s website (https://brianacorrscott.com/mermaid-lullaby). The love of mermaid babies need not stop when the book covers close.