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  • Published: 15 September 2017
  • ISBN: 9780399170720
  • Imprint: Putnam
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $40.00

The Mermaid




When Kiniro, the mermaid, comes upon a gorgeous house made of shells and coral, she can't resist going inside to have a look around. The octopus family is not at home, but the baby octopus's breakfast, chair, and bed are just right for Kiniro. The bed is so irresistible, she falls asleep. That makes for quite a surprise when the octopus return home. But the baby's shock at discovering a mermaid in her bed is forgotten when Kiniro gives her a very special gift.
Intricate, colorful scenes of an underwater paradise transport this classic fairy tale to a magical land inspired by the seas off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. Chock full of fish and fauna and adventure, this mermaid's story will enchant readers of all ages.

A New York Times bestselling striking under-the-sea version of Goldilocks with bonus storytelling in the borders, as only Jan Brett could create.

When Kiniro, a young mermaid, comes upon a gorgeous house made of seashells and coral, she is so curious that she goes inside. She’s thrilled to find a just-right breakfast, pretty little chair, and, best of all, a comfy bed that rocks in the current.
 
But when the Octopus family returns home, they are not happy to find that someone has been eating their food and breaking their things. Baby has the biggest shock when she finds the mermaid asleep in her bed!

Luckily, shock turns to happiness when Kiniro gives her a thoughtful gift before escaping from the twenty-four arms coming her way.
 
Vibrant, intricate scenes of an underwater paradise transport this classic fairy tale to a magical setting inspired by the seas off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. Along with fun details that enrich the storytelling in Jan Brett's trademark borders, this visual treat will enchant readers of all ages.

  • Published: 15 September 2017
  • ISBN: 9780399170720
  • Imprint: Putnam
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $40.00

About the author

Jan Brett

With over thirty seven million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the USA's foremost author illustrators of children's books.

Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts, close to where she grew up. During the summer her family moves to a home in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

As a child, Jan Brett decided to be an illustrator and spent many hours reading and drawing. She says, 'I remember the special quiet of rainy days when I felt that I could enter the pages of my beautiful picture books. Now I try to recreate that feeling of believing that the imaginary place I'm drawing really exists. The detail in my work helps to convince me, and I hope others as well, that such places might be real.'

As a student at the Boston Museum School, she spent hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. 'It was overwhelming to see the room-size landscapes and towering stone sculptures, and then moments later to refocus on delicately embroidered kimonos and ancient porcelain,' she says. 'I'm delighted and surprised when fragments of these beautiful images come back to me in my painting.'

Travel is also a constant inspiration. Together with her husband, Joe Hearne, who is a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jan visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. 'From cave paintings to Norwegian sleighs, to Japanese gardens, I study the traditions of the many countries I visit and use them as a starting point for my children's books.'

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Praise for The Mermaid

Reviews for Jan's Fairy Tale Retellings:
"The stunning watercolor-and-gouache illustrations provide the sense of place. . . Brett creates a strikingly beautiful blue-and-gray-toned world of ice populated with thickly furred creatures and accented with Inuit motifs." - Kirkus Reviews on The Three Snow Bears

"A charming transformation with Brett's majestic stylings and a bit of whimsy." - School Library Journal on Cinders