Mermaid Tales from Around the World [Paperback]

Mary Pope Osborne (Author), Paul Werstine (Author), Troy Howell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

The book presents legends and tales that have stirred the imaginations of people. From Andersen's Little Mermaid to Nigerian Fish Husband, these sea spirits all determine their own fate.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A dozen mermaid tales from as many cultures receive "vigorous and picturesque" retellings and "astonishing," period-flavored illustrations, said PW in a starred review. Ages 7-11.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-It's common for folklore retellers to cite their sources, and Osborne does a lovely job of tracing the roots and explaining how she adapted each of these stories. However, it's rarer for illustrators to explain their research and artistic processes, so Howell's notes are fascinating. These appendixes also show the care and scholarship that permeate this volume. Of the 12 tales, only Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" is very well known. The other entries come from around the world and from different times-ancient Greece to 19th-century America. As Osborne points out in her introduction, these selections feature strong heroines who just happen to have fish tails. Being magical creatures, some can offer wealth and happiness; others can become human, marry, and have children; and a few are evil and vengeful. This rich collection is further enhanced by thoughtfully designed color plates and page decorations. Each picture furthers the understanding of the story through content and style (e.g., authentic African patterns are used to decorate the Nigerian tale, while the Greek tale is accompanied by artwork influenced by the area's terra-cotta pottery). An anthology that will enrich any collection.
Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439047811
• ISBN-13: 978-0439047814
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Obsessions > Mermaids
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Anthologies
  • #81 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories > Anthologies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book, for all ages, August 26, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Mermaid Tales from Around the World (Library Binding)

I live on an island. Therefore, water plays a large part in my life - its the only way that I can get to the rest of my country. And, an offshoot of that is that I feel very connected with water life - including mermaids. So, when finding this book, call Mermaid Tales from Around the World, I decided to check it out. Superficially, its kinda short - only 10-12 stories, And its printed in a largish print. So that way its easy to read. But, deeper into the book, the illustrations are wonderful - there is one for each story. And each is different. Ok, yeah, you say - of course they have different illustrations for different stories. But its more than that. Each is done in a different style - down to the signature. They are based on the culture that the story comes from. Instead of americanizing the pictures, Howell has reasearched the particular culture of the tale, and has imitated it. The result is fantastic. The stories them selves are wonderful. You have, of course, the Little Mermaid. And then, theres the Native Canadian story, and the Japanese tale. The stories all show the different cultures, and their view of what a mermaid is. And each view differs. To say the least, I enjoyed this book. It gave a view of what a mermaid is to several cultures, plus had spectacular illustrations. Check it out!!!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For water maidens and those who love them..., January 11, 2001

By 

Erin (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mermaid Tales from Around the World (Paperback)

This work as a whole will enlarge your understanding of water maiden creatures, but don't expect to find any rivetting storytelling.

The value of this book lies in its cultural scope. How intriguing to note that water maidens play a significant role in the folk lore of such diverse cultures! And how interesting to see how these creatures vary from country to country (for they are not all mermaids as the title would suggest). Readers will discover an added bonus in Howell's artwork, which enhances the cultural flavor of each tale to great effect.

However, each tale is written in a sparse, folk tale style--flat characters and settings with little descriptive embellishments. For this reason I would recommend this book mainly to those who love mermaids and other sea creatures, rather than to those who just looking for a good story. But recommend it I do, for it is a fine collection.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The illustrator is incredible!, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mermaid Tales from Around the World (Paperback)

My name is Janna, and I'm 12 years old. This book was great! If the illustrations hadn't been so great, I would have given it a 3, though. The illustrations are what makes it so great. The illustrator studied how different cultures paint or draw. Then he'd make the illustrations fit the place where the story came from. Troy Howell is amazing!