FICTION

Tallulah: Mermaid of the Great Lakes

by Denise BRENNAN-NELSON
illus. by Susan Kathleen Hartung. 40p. Sleeping Bear. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781585369096. LC 2014027165.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—A group of young mermaids is given instruction on searching for a personal gemstone to enhance their tail colors and deign magical powers that allow them to assist mariners and create "enchanting melodies." Platinum haired Tallulah (her name is Native American for "leaping water") lacks success until her companion Sea Turtle convinces her to move her quest from ocean to the Great Lakes. After exploring the many pleasures of these waters, they finally locate a Petoskey stone that transforms her tail and inspires her song as the Great Lakes Mermaid. Hartung's cartoon watercolors of young mermaids and undersea flora and fauna will enchant preschoolers. The expected array of blues and greens brighten with the inclusion of corals in orange, pink, and purple.
VERDICT Ideal for fans of the Great Lakes region, the basic story could be appealing to a wider audience.
Reviewed by Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Mermaid Tallulah can't find her gemstone, which, legend has it, will give her "dull, gray tail" its unique color. When a sea turtle suggests she look in the Great Lakes, a banal tour commences, and she settles down there for good. The story is an awkward mix of whimsy and superficial regional information; frothy illustrations include unidentified landmarks and the endpapers feature a map.
 , Jul 01, 2015

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