The Mermaid Moon by Briony May Smith
Published by Anne Schwartz Books on October 4, 2022
ISBN: 1984896563
Pages: 40
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

I really wanted to like this book. It had friends from two different worlds, mermaids, and a whale that saves the day. However, in the end, it was just not very compelling. Molly, a real girl, and Merrin, a mermaid girl, are best friends. Merrin will magically be able to survive out of the sea and visit Molly’s home on the night of the Mermaid Moon. Borrowing the “be back in time or else” plot line from many other fairy tails, Merrin must be back in the ocean “before the moon’s reflection disappears from the sea.” You know where this is going! She nearly misses the deadline, but is saved by a whale whisking her back home to the sea. I wish I could say her delay was cause by something more interesting and exciting than needing to save Molly from falling out of a tree.

The illustrations are very dark in color. I suspect to try to capture the feeling of night time with moonlight, but they just come off as mostly dark. The faces of the girl are very delightful and I only wish they were rendered more in the light.

The book was just average and likely there are other adventure/ mermaid fairy tails that tell a better story with more compelling illustrations. Not an essential purchase for a picture book collection.

Reviewed by Kathy Bain, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library