The Mermaid

Starred review from June 19, 2017
In this dazzling remix, Brett (Gingerbread Christmas) sets “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” under the sea. The bears turn into octopuses, dressed in the straw hats and indigo-dyed coats of rural Japan, and Goldilocks becomes Kiniro, a mermaid with black hair and golden scales (“kin-iro” is Japanese for gold). A sweet twist at the outset imagines Otosan and Okosan (Japanese for father and mother) putting a new hat on Baby: “Baby did not like the floppy new hat. The hat was not happy, either.” The hat is actually a ray, and although Kiniro ruins as many of the octopuses’ possessions as Goldilocks does (“Someone has been crunching on my crustaceans”), she leaves Baby a much nicer piece of headwear. Brett’s brightly colored, highly detailed art shines in this aquatic setting as she embellishes the octopuses’ dwelling with shells, coral, and tropical fish that swim in and out of the windows. Small, jewel-like vignettes set into the main spreads reveal what’s happening elsewhere (Kiniro sleeping innocently offstage as the octopus family returns). Brett’s fans will rejoice, and she’ll make new ones, too. Ages 4–8.

July 15, 2017
More "The Three Bears" than "The Little Mermaid," Brett's latest picture book was inspired by her visits to Okinawa and the New England Aquarium, where she encountered the Pacific octopus. The titular mermaid is named Kiniro, and her Japanese-inspired name, dark rather than golden tresses, and East Asian features are links to Brett's Japanese inspiration for the story. Various illustrative details of the setting and characters' costuming also seem tied to Japan, but the text is firmly rooted in the very English "The Three Bears." While swimming with her friend Puffy (a puffer fish), Kiniro happens upon the house of an octopus family. In keeping with the folk-tale source material, Otosan (the father), Okasan (the mother), and Baby, an octopus family, have all gone out, leaving Kiniro to try their breakfast, their chairs, and their beds. In each instance she prefers Baby's things, and she drifts off to sleep in a clamshell bed. Throughout, Brett's signature sidebar illustrations show the octopus family on their outing, each wearing a hat. (A subplot about the octopuses' hats detracts from the story with superfluous detail.) When they return, they are upset by Kiniro's intrusion, but Puffy protects her, and they escape with a new friend in tow--a stingray who had been Baby's hat and which Kiniro replaces with a tiara. Not quite just right but sure to please Brett's fans. (Picture book. 3-5)

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August 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-In an aquatic version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," Kiniro, the beautiful mermaid, is intrigued by the mystique and beauty of the little seashell house she swims by. Curious, she enters the home and sees breakfast set on the table. Unable to resist, Kiniro tastes the marine delicacies. The delicious morsel in the smallest bowl is her favorite, and she eats it up completely. The mermaid then floats to the living room and sits in three chairs. The smallest chair is the prettiest, but she breaks it to bits as she tries to wiggle in. Finally, Kiniro feels the three beds and discovers that she loves the little clamshell swing bed the most. This is where the octopus family finds her when they return to their watery abode. Not only is this fractured fairy tale a delight to read, there is also an adorable side story skillfully told in the border art as only Brett can. Set in the waters off of the coast of Okinawa, this colorful picture book is exquisite. The full-page illustrations are gorgeous in shades of turquoise, pink, green, and blue. The border art is detailed, and readers could spend hours diving into all there is to explore. VERDICT A one-on-one treat for folktale aficionados and, of course, for Brett's many fans.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

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