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Trot & Cap'n Bill #1
The Sea Fairies
Nobody, said Cap'n Bill solemnly, "ever sawr a mermaid an' lived to tell the tale." "Why not?" asked Trot, looking earnestly up into the old sailor's face. They were seated on a bench built around a giant acacia tree that grew just at the edge of the bluff. Below them rolled the blue waves of the great Pacific. A little way behind them was the house, a neat frame cottage painted white and surrounded by huge eucalyptus and pepper trees. Still farther behind that - a quarter of a mile distant but built upon a bend of the coast - was the village, overlooking a pretty bay.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1911
62 people are currently reading
2054 people want to read
About the author
L. Frank Baum
3,213 books2,770 followersalso wrote under the names:
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
August 14, 2017
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
February 27, 2018
L. Frank Baum wasn't writing this book for me. His target audience was probably little girls from a bit before 8 years old to a little beyond 10. So, anything I may write may be less than relevant to that demographic.
This is a whimsical story about a young girl and her "old salt" sailor friend and their adventure below the sea's surface with the fairie royalty.
There is a lot in the world of 100 years ago that does not resonate well with present day. Baum sets out a benign view of slavery even as practiced by the most evil person in his world. He also has talking sea creatures that end up eating one another or appear on the fairies dinner table.
As an adult reading this to a child, I can imagine only some of the questions a child might raise and my ambivalence in trying to answer them. Having said that, we have a very imaginative tale about a doughty little girl who bears up well under a variety of strange and threatening experiences. And, everything "comes out right" at the end.
My thanks to Hannah Greendale for suggesting this book.
This is a whimsical story about a young girl and her "old salt" sailor friend and their adventure below the sea's surface with the fairie royalty.
There is a lot in the world of 100 years ago that does not resonate well with present day. Baum sets out a benign view of slavery even as practiced by the most evil person in his world. He also has talking sea creatures that end up eating one another or appear on the fairies dinner table.
As an adult reading this to a child, I can imagine only some of the questions a child might raise and my ambivalence in trying to answer them. Having said that, we have a very imaginative tale about a doughty little girl who bears up well under a variety of strange and threatening experiences. And, everything "comes out right" at the end.
My thanks to Hannah Greendale for suggesting this book.
November 6, 2018
An enchanting undersea fairytale from the author of the Oz books (this isn't an Oz book, although the protagonists do turn up in one of the later volumes, apparently).
This is very much aimed at younger readers, although the grotesque nature of the main antagonist does make me wonder if this was an influence on H.P. Lovecraft...
This is very much aimed at younger readers, although the grotesque nature of the main antagonist does make me wonder if this was an influence on H.P. Lovecraft...
January 2, 2016
#TeamZogtheTerribleandHisDevilFish
Okay, not really, because attacking strangers to indirectly spite an enemy is a pretty feeble motivation, but at least Zog brought some plot action to the scene. If I had to read any more twee description of pretty rooms and dresses and fish I might have gone in for some meaningless violence myself.
Okay, not really, because attacking strangers to indirectly spite an enemy is a pretty feeble motivation, but at least Zog brought some plot action to the scene. If I had to read any more twee description of pretty rooms and dresses and fish I might have gone in for some meaningless violence myself.
April 19, 2018
A few days ago, my friend Kae-Leah sent me a recommendation and link to read The Sea Fairies by L. Frank Baum, author of the Oz books. I was hesitant at first because it didn't sound like a story about mermaids from the title, and older books can be unnecessarily wordy. To my surprise, it was entirely about mermaids, and it was just the right length. I couldn't help but wonder as I read it why no one has turned this book into a movie yet.
The Sea Fairies, written in 1911, explores the adventures of a little girl named Trot and her friend, Cap'n Bill, a sea captain entrusted by her mother to babysit her. The two main characters have a fantastic relationship that is rarely explored in the media. Cap'n Bill does not act like an authoritative figure to Trot. Instead, he listens to her and tells her everything she wants to know about the sea to the best of his knowledge. She trusts him without thinking he is omniscient. When he tells her the siren-like myths about mermaids in which they drown everyone who comes into contact with them, she is doubtful. She is convinced if everyone who saw a mermaid was killed, would be no stories about them at all. Meanwhile, deep in the sea, the mermaids were listening to her conversation. They come to the surface to invite her to visit their world so they can prove that they are not monstrous sirens like the in tall tales Cap'n Bill has heard.
In most stories where a child visits a magical world they so in secret, like in Peter Pan. Their parents or guardians never find out or often don't believe them. In The Sea Fairies, Cap'n Bill insists on accompanying Trot and the mermaids into the sea because he takes his duty to watch her very seriously. According to Cap'n Bill, being drowned would still be preferable to facing Trot's mother if something were to happen to her. This detail made perfect sense. Why would a responsible adult entrusted with a child's safety allow the child to run off to a potentially dangerous world by herself?
For most of the story, Trot and Cap'n Bill are escorted by the mermaid princess, Clia, and the mermaid queen, Aquareine. In some ways, this seems almost too convenient for Trot. One day, she's dreaming about mermaids and wondering what they're like, and the next, she is an honored guest of the highest-ranking royal mermaids. Clearly, mermaid society is very different from human society. Mermaid princesses do not need ambassadors to represent them, and queens must clear their good name on their own instead of asking servants to do it for them. It is a truly benevolent matriarchy. Princess Clia and Queen Aquareine wanted to show Trot and Cap'n Bill the best their kingdom had to offer so that they would never suspect that they were wicked sirens again.
The descriptions of the underwater kingdom in this book were also quite lovely, They reminded me of some of the visuals in the mermaid-themed Barbie movies. The palace was described to have mother of pearl and jewels encrusted into all of the architecture, a glass roof that allowed Trot to see the ocean above her from inside her room, and comfortable soft cushion seats. If these descriptions were incorporated into a feature film today, they would be even more stunning. Baum described the mermaids in a very traditional way, with beautiful faces, long flowing hair, and tails that sparkle with pink, green, and blue scales.
There was one additional detail he added of each mermaid using "fairy magic" to create a tiny pocket of air all around them so that they stay warm and dry at all times and nothing they touch gets decayed by the rough salt water. This answers a lot of questions people like to ask about mermaids such as how all of their possessions stay in pristine condition while underwater. They particularly like to give this criticism about Disney's The Little Mermaid when they see all of Ariel's human treasures preserved perfectly in her grotto, including a book and a painting. I thought this was a terrific detail because it also allows mermaids to wear pretty dresses and have curly hair or lighter-colored hair that would not be affected by the water.
Even though The Sea Fairies is chock full of imagination and whimsical imagery, it still contains a very wicked villain. Zog, the demon-like sorcerer, is mentioned toward the middle of the book but does not show up until near the end. This keeps the novel from getting too dark since he is quite terrifying. Rumored to be the most wicked sorcerer to have ever lived in the sea, Zog lures Trot, Cap'n Bill, Princess Clia, and Queen Aquareine into his lair using the tentacle-like "sea devils." He makes his intentions to have everyone suffer before ultimately killing them very clear, and our heroes do not doubt these intentions for a moment. In spite of the danger, the mermaids are quite confident in their ability to keep everyone safe.
Trot never gets scared no matter what happens because she trusts so much in Cap'n Bill and the mermaid princess and queen to protect her. This is another reason I thought she was a terrific protagonist. Unlike the sheepish Dorothy, who goes to Oz alone and wishes for nothing more than to find a way home, Trot is excited by the prospect of adventure and danger because she knows that the adults will always look out for her. This is very refreshing when there are so many stories about children trying to defy authority. Though Trot is an inquisitive girl, she also knows when to do as she is told.
The Sea Fairies has quickly become one of my favorite books of all time. Since it has been around for over a hundred years, I'm very surprised it does not get more recognition among mermaid fans. It has all the makings of a classic children's movie--a smart, brave, and responsible little girl, a sea captain with a peg leg, a mermaid royalty, and a wicked and powerful villain. One day, I would love to see the magic of this story captured on the big screen.
The Sea Fairies, written in 1911, explores the adventures of a little girl named Trot and her friend, Cap'n Bill, a sea captain entrusted by her mother to babysit her. The two main characters have a fantastic relationship that is rarely explored in the media. Cap'n Bill does not act like an authoritative figure to Trot. Instead, he listens to her and tells her everything she wants to know about the sea to the best of his knowledge. She trusts him without thinking he is omniscient. When he tells her the siren-like myths about mermaids in which they drown everyone who comes into contact with them, she is doubtful. She is convinced if everyone who saw a mermaid was killed, would be no stories about them at all. Meanwhile, deep in the sea, the mermaids were listening to her conversation. They come to the surface to invite her to visit their world so they can prove that they are not monstrous sirens like the in tall tales Cap'n Bill has heard.
In most stories where a child visits a magical world they so in secret, like in Peter Pan. Their parents or guardians never find out or often don't believe them. In The Sea Fairies, Cap'n Bill insists on accompanying Trot and the mermaids into the sea because he takes his duty to watch her very seriously. According to Cap'n Bill, being drowned would still be preferable to facing Trot's mother if something were to happen to her. This detail made perfect sense. Why would a responsible adult entrusted with a child's safety allow the child to run off to a potentially dangerous world by herself?
For most of the story, Trot and Cap'n Bill are escorted by the mermaid princess, Clia, and the mermaid queen, Aquareine. In some ways, this seems almost too convenient for Trot. One day, she's dreaming about mermaids and wondering what they're like, and the next, she is an honored guest of the highest-ranking royal mermaids. Clearly, mermaid society is very different from human society. Mermaid princesses do not need ambassadors to represent them, and queens must clear their good name on their own instead of asking servants to do it for them. It is a truly benevolent matriarchy. Princess Clia and Queen Aquareine wanted to show Trot and Cap'n Bill the best their kingdom had to offer so that they would never suspect that they were wicked sirens again.
The descriptions of the underwater kingdom in this book were also quite lovely, They reminded me of some of the visuals in the mermaid-themed Barbie movies. The palace was described to have mother of pearl and jewels encrusted into all of the architecture, a glass roof that allowed Trot to see the ocean above her from inside her room, and comfortable soft cushion seats. If these descriptions were incorporated into a feature film today, they would be even more stunning. Baum described the mermaids in a very traditional way, with beautiful faces, long flowing hair, and tails that sparkle with pink, green, and blue scales.
There was one additional detail he added of each mermaid using "fairy magic" to create a tiny pocket of air all around them so that they stay warm and dry at all times and nothing they touch gets decayed by the rough salt water. This answers a lot of questions people like to ask about mermaids such as how all of their possessions stay in pristine condition while underwater. They particularly like to give this criticism about Disney's The Little Mermaid when they see all of Ariel's human treasures preserved perfectly in her grotto, including a book and a painting. I thought this was a terrific detail because it also allows mermaids to wear pretty dresses and have curly hair or lighter-colored hair that would not be affected by the water.
Even though The Sea Fairies is chock full of imagination and whimsical imagery, it still contains a very wicked villain. Zog, the demon-like sorcerer, is mentioned toward the middle of the book but does not show up until near the end. This keeps the novel from getting too dark since he is quite terrifying. Rumored to be the most wicked sorcerer to have ever lived in the sea, Zog lures Trot, Cap'n Bill, Princess Clia, and Queen Aquareine into his lair using the tentacle-like "sea devils." He makes his intentions to have everyone suffer before ultimately killing them very clear, and our heroes do not doubt these intentions for a moment. In spite of the danger, the mermaids are quite confident in their ability to keep everyone safe.
Trot never gets scared no matter what happens because she trusts so much in Cap'n Bill and the mermaid princess and queen to protect her. This is another reason I thought she was a terrific protagonist. Unlike the sheepish Dorothy, who goes to Oz alone and wishes for nothing more than to find a way home, Trot is excited by the prospect of adventure and danger because she knows that the adults will always look out for her. This is very refreshing when there are so many stories about children trying to defy authority. Though Trot is an inquisitive girl, she also knows when to do as she is told.
The Sea Fairies has quickly become one of my favorite books of all time. Since it has been around for over a hundred years, I'm very surprised it does not get more recognition among mermaid fans. It has all the makings of a classic children's movie--a smart, brave, and responsible little girl, a sea captain with a peg leg, a mermaid royalty, and a wicked and powerful villain. One day, I would love to see the magic of this story captured on the big screen.
April 12, 2015
I made up a melody for the barnacle song, and I always sing it when I'm walking in the woods now. I don't see why the mermaid said it was stupid.
December 18, 2019
Um livro perfeito para contar a crianças. Por possuir belíssimas ilustrações de sereias e monstros marinhos. Narra a historia de Trot e o capitão Billy que exploram o fundo do mundo, descobrindo as belezas dos seus palácios e a diversidade dos seres aquáticos. As sereis são retratadas como criaturas bondosas e capazes de produzir magia. Também existe o grande vilão Zog, na minha opinião uma das personagens mais interessantes, um feiticeiro maléfico quase invencível com milhares prisioneiros.
Em geral foi uma leitura interessante e com muitas descrições deslumbrantes de paisagens marítimas.
Em geral foi uma leitura interessante e com muitas descrições deslumbrantes de paisagens marítimas.
July 27, 2021
A very cute book.
I had to read that in order to continue the Oz saga, where Bill & Trot will make them a visit.
It was actually good to finally meet these too, having first encountered these two in Emerald City Confidential, I was too keen to have at least a backstory as to, well, who are they..
The Mermaids were so cute, and I got to actually learn of new ocean creatures.
Concluding with the fact that it was too much anticipated and simple, not as elaborate as the Oz saga (which also are sorta simple, so that makes it worse for this one).
Off to CORMORAN STRIKE NOWWW!!!
And to the others Oz sequels too obviousely.
Toodleloo
I had to read that in order to continue the Oz saga, where Bill & Trot will make them a visit.
It was actually good to finally meet these too, having first encountered these two in Emerald City Confidential, I was too keen to have at least a backstory as to, well, who are they..
The Mermaids were so cute, and I got to actually learn of new ocean creatures.
Concluding with the fact that it was too much anticipated and simple, not as elaborate as the Oz saga (which also are sorta simple, so that makes it worse for this one).
Off to CORMORAN STRIKE NOWWW!!!
And to the others Oz sequels too obviousely.
Toodleloo
July 2, 2020
Despite a small page count, The Sea Fairies felt long. It was a chore to get through. The characters were okay, and some of the settings were cool, but overall, it felt like a pointless meandering. I was hoping for more. In Baum's Oz works, the world and characters are vibrant and awesome. The underwater world felt hollow, repetitive, and inconsistent. It could not capture my attention and imagination.
On a side note, I opted to pay 99 cents for the "illustrated" Kindle version, instead of going with the free version. The pictures that were present were at the end of the book, and it definitely did not include all of the illustrations from the original book. It was not worth the extra dollar.
On a side note, I opted to pay 99 cents for the "illustrated" Kindle version, instead of going with the free version. The pictures that were present were at the end of the book, and it definitely did not include all of the illustrations from the original book. It was not worth the extra dollar.
October 15, 2018
Great descriptions of the mermaids and their undersea world, but not a lot of action until the end. I wish evil King Zog had shown up earlier. He's an excellent villain. Baum was also struggling with his main character, Trot. She is supposed to be spunky and straightforward, but often just comes off as rude. He gets the tone better when she is featured in The Scarecrow of Oz.
June 10, 2025
Baum wrote this between the supposed end of the Oz books and their inevitable revival, so I went in with some hope. This is apparently what he wanted to write, so it would probably bring back the passion that was missing from the last few Oz-ventures, right?
Unfortunately, no. In fact, it has a lot of the same problems.
This book is almost perfectly divided in half. The first section is just episodic, whimsical vignettes with no real point. I think they'd keep a kid amused, especially a girl in her mermaid phase, but I'm sure you could find that girl a mermaid story with more substance. The "plot" can be summarized as mermaids being perfect and beautiful and living in a perfect, beautiful palace and having no individual personalities. They meet some animals who are mostly just there for confusing and not-very-funny jokes. (There's this whole part about how people associate an oil company with octopi, which I'll generously assume that a kid in 1913 would have understood.) It's basically the Village of Sapient ____ bits from Oz, except switched out with marine references.
On that note: I think one of the cool things about having mermaid-type characters is trying to figure out how one lives in an underwater environment. And this book does that...sometimes. But whenever Baum wants to include something that couldn't, logically, exist in this setting, he just throws it in and says "MAGIC!" And sometimes he'll just completely forget that they're underwater, so that characters can sweat or eat a bowl of soup or something.
On a similar note: the characters eat "sea apples" which are clearly supposed to be a fruit, only they grow underwater (and are tastier than any land fruit, natch). They meet a "sea pig" that, from the illustration at least, seems to just be a pig that lives underwater. And I strongly suspect that when the villain has "seawolves" in his service, we're just supposed to be imagining wolves with fish tails or something.
[image error]
(https://waitingforthet.tumblr.com/day...)
As for Trot and Cap'n Bill themselves...eh? Trot feels very much like Dorothy, or perhaps like a somewhat Flanderized version of her, taking Dorothy's bravery and changing it to outright foolhardiness. Cap'n Bill has his moments, but doesn't stand out too much. And they don't DO anything, at any point in the book. They're just along for the ride, watching the mermaid queen be awesome and perfect.
Anyway, my hopes picked up when we got to the second half. We had already set up an evil wizard named Zog, who captures the heroes and plans to destroy them. He has an interesting design and a bit of menace, so things looked promising. Conflict! Stakes! I was prepared to say that this book, while disjointed, would at least have a strong second half.
Yeah...that didn't really work out.
The moment when I really lost hope was when Zog tries to sic a sea monster on our good guys. Because see, the mermaid queen, Aquareine (good name, I'll admit), cast a spell so that nothing can hurt them. And then she effortlessly kills the sea monster with a wave of her wand. During this whole thing, she shows no fear, and brags that Zog can't do anything to them. The same thing happens the next time that Zog tries to kill them. The third time it almost looks like there'll be trouble—Aquareine is in a position where she can't wave her wand, so they need to come up with a new solution! Except no, because apparently Aquareine can just...fix it without her wand. So there is no clever solution, no effort, no conflict, no problem!
In short: Aquareine is just Ozma with a fishtail. There is only the illusion of tension, because the hero can do literally anything with less effort than I'm expending to write this review.
Sorry, but if the characters aren't scared, why should the reader be scared for them?
Compare in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy was captured by the Wicked Witch of the West. As in this case, she was magically protected from harm. But the Witch still (temporarily) destroyed the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman, captured the Lion, and forced Dorothy into slavery. Meanwhile here, Aquareine and the others are captured by Zog, wherein they are forced to...sleep in luxurious rooms, given free rein of the palace, and are waited on by friendly servants.
Oh, the drama. I'm so invested. Really.
Speaking of the servants: we first meet Sacho, a human prince, who's weirdly upbeat about the whole being-enslaved-to-an-evil-sea-monster-and-forcibly-converted-into-a-fish-man situation. I actually quite liked him at first. But the problem is, all of Zog's servants are like that. So this wasn't Sacho have an eccentric character trait, it's just Baum further signaling that no, Zog is no threat because not even his kidnapped slaves are actually afraid of him or all that upset about their position.
Anyway, eventually our heroes "escape" from the lap of luxury and its nonexistent threat of danger. At this point, Zog chases them, and once again, it actually seems like he's powerful enough that Aquareine can't just bullshit him away. Oh no! Also, if that's the case why didn't he just attack her directly earlier?! But whatever, another character comes to the rescue and kills Zog instantly. It's not quite a deus ex machina, because we met this character before and knew that he was really powerful, but it feels very anticlimactic. Again: Baum only PRETENDS that problems exist, don't worry, everything will be solved with no effort in less than a page.
Trot cries with relief when Zog is killed, and it just feels so hollow, because again, the whole time that they were kidnapped we kept being told that Trot wasn't scared because there was no reason to be scared because Baum doesn't understand how stories work.
Anyway, there were some good bits too: Anko, one of three sea serpents who rule the world's oceans, is conceptually cool, even if he's just there to make unfunny jokes and insta-solve problems. Zog could have been a cool villain if Baum had allowed him to be. Including as one of the slaves was clever, though more could have been done both to set this up and use him when he appears. And there were a few interesting ideas about how mermaids could actually work, when Baum actually tried to write limitations.
But for the most part...this was a slog. It took me almost twice as long as it should have to read this, simply because I wasn't motivated to. I hope Baum gets his groove back soon.
Unfortunately, no. In fact, it has a lot of the same problems.
This book is almost perfectly divided in half. The first section is just episodic, whimsical vignettes with no real point. I think they'd keep a kid amused, especially a girl in her mermaid phase, but I'm sure you could find that girl a mermaid story with more substance. The "plot" can be summarized as mermaids being perfect and beautiful and living in a perfect, beautiful palace and having no individual personalities. They meet some animals who are mostly just there for confusing and not-very-funny jokes. (There's this whole part about how people associate an oil company with octopi, which I'll generously assume that a kid in 1913 would have understood.) It's basically the Village of Sapient ____ bits from Oz, except switched out with marine references.
On that note: I think one of the cool things about having mermaid-type characters is trying to figure out how one lives in an underwater environment. And this book does that...sometimes. But whenever Baum wants to include something that couldn't, logically, exist in this setting, he just throws it in and says "MAGIC!" And sometimes he'll just completely forget that they're underwater, so that characters can sweat or eat a bowl of soup or something.
On a similar note: the characters eat "sea apples" which are clearly supposed to be a fruit, only they grow underwater (and are tastier than any land fruit, natch). They meet a "sea pig" that, from the illustration at least, seems to just be a pig that lives underwater. And I strongly suspect that when the villain has "seawolves" in his service, we're just supposed to be imagining wolves with fish tails or something.
[image error]
(https://waitingforthet.tumblr.com/day...)
As for Trot and Cap'n Bill themselves...eh? Trot feels very much like Dorothy, or perhaps like a somewhat Flanderized version of her, taking Dorothy's bravery and changing it to outright foolhardiness. Cap'n Bill has his moments, but doesn't stand out too much. And they don't DO anything, at any point in the book. They're just along for the ride, watching the mermaid queen be awesome and perfect.
Anyway, my hopes picked up when we got to the second half. We had already set up an evil wizard named Zog, who captures the heroes and plans to destroy them. He has an interesting design and a bit of menace, so things looked promising. Conflict! Stakes! I was prepared to say that this book, while disjointed, would at least have a strong second half.
Yeah...that didn't really work out.
The moment when I really lost hope was when Zog tries to sic a sea monster on our good guys. Because see, the mermaid queen, Aquareine (good name, I'll admit), cast a spell so that nothing can hurt them. And then she effortlessly kills the sea monster with a wave of her wand. During this whole thing, she shows no fear, and brags that Zog can't do anything to them. The same thing happens the next time that Zog tries to kill them. The third time it almost looks like there'll be trouble—Aquareine is in a position where she can't wave her wand, so they need to come up with a new solution! Except no, because apparently Aquareine can just...fix it without her wand. So there is no clever solution, no effort, no conflict, no problem!
In short: Aquareine is just Ozma with a fishtail. There is only the illusion of tension, because the hero can do literally anything with less effort than I'm expending to write this review.
"The mermaids and Trot followed this example, and I think none of them were much worried, after all, because they quickly sank into peaceful slumber and forgot all the dangers that threatened them."
Sorry, but if the characters aren't scared, why should the reader be scared for them?
Compare in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy was captured by the Wicked Witch of the West. As in this case, she was magically protected from harm. But the Witch still (temporarily) destroyed the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman, captured the Lion, and forced Dorothy into slavery. Meanwhile here, Aquareine and the others are captured by Zog, wherein they are forced to...sleep in luxurious rooms, given free rein of the palace, and are waited on by friendly servants.
Oh, the drama. I'm so invested. Really.
Speaking of the servants: we first meet Sacho, a human prince, who's weirdly upbeat about the whole being-enslaved-to-an-evil-sea-monster-and-forcibly-converted-into-a-fish-man situation. I actually quite liked him at first. But the problem is, all of Zog's servants are like that. So this wasn't Sacho have an eccentric character trait, it's just Baum further signaling that no, Zog is no threat because not even his kidnapped slaves are actually afraid of him or all that upset about their position.
Anyway, eventually our heroes "escape" from the lap of luxury and its nonexistent threat of danger. At this point, Zog chases them, and once again, it actually seems like he's powerful enough that Aquareine can't just bullshit him away. Oh no! Also, if that's the case why didn't he just attack her directly earlier?! But whatever, another character comes to the rescue and kills Zog instantly. It's not quite a deus ex machina, because we met this character before and knew that he was really powerful, but it feels very anticlimactic. Again: Baum only PRETENDS that problems exist, don't worry, everything will be solved with no effort in less than a page.
Trot cries with relief when Zog is killed, and it just feels so hollow, because again, the whole time that they were kidnapped we kept being told that Trot wasn't scared because there was no reason to be scared because Baum doesn't understand how stories work.
Anyway, there were some good bits too: Anko, one of three sea serpents who rule the world's oceans, is conceptually cool, even if he's just there to make unfunny jokes and insta-solve problems. Zog could have been a cool villain if Baum had allowed him to be. Including as one of the slaves was clever, though more could have been done both to set this up and use him when he appears. And there were a few interesting ideas about how mermaids could actually work, when Baum actually tried to write limitations.
But for the most part...this was a slog. It took me almost twice as long as it should have to read this, simply because I wasn't motivated to. I hope Baum gets his groove back soon.
June 4, 2018
I read The Sea Fairies to my 8 year old son as we’ve been working our way through the Oz series. He absolutely loved it I didn’t so much. I think my son would give it 5 stars and more because he was upset when it ended whereas I am looking forward to moving on but then again I’m not the target audience.
June 12, 2021
Fanciful. Not my usual cup of tea. Great turn of the century line drawings!
November 7, 2025
This was a fun little Oz-adjacent adventure. It’s interesting to see how Baum really tried to build an integrated universe that included his different books and characters.
November 20, 2022
I really enjoyed this. Once again Baum shows how creative and funny he could be. Trigger warning for *a lot* of slavery.*A lot*.
May 22, 2020
I like Trot but she was a bit bloody rude to some of those fishies!
January 24, 2012
I must be honest, after reading the Oz series, this book did not live up to the tradition. I would think that this would be right up my alley, taking place in the ocean depths; but alas, not so much. That is not to say it was not a good story, just not great.
Both Avery and myself were not at all impressed with Trot. She came off as a sassy, spoiled brat who was too often combatitive and rude. Given that she is merely a little girl, her manners could have been more forth coming and yet never was there a chastising.
Captain Bill on the other hand is always a hoot. He brings joy and patience, every bit the foil of the pom-pass Trot. Why do I harbor such ill will to this character? She did not elicit such emotion from either Avery or myself in the Oz books.
Anway, Trot and Captain Bill explore the ocean depths with mermaids only to get caught up in the throws of the most wicked being at the bottom of the sea: Zog, the wicked magician. Although I have to say, for how wicked Zog was supposed to be he was presented as not unlikable. Every bit of his despicable demeanor was tempered with compassion which made for an odd juxtaposition.
The denizens of the deep blue sea were treated rather callously, very much beneath the way any bit of life was treated in the Oz books. Painted with idiocy and a callous manner, most seemed nothing more than a swimming snack to be forgotten rather quickly.
There was much to do about slaves in this book. Whether it was the poor souls brought to the ocean's bottom to serve Zog, or the forced servitude of the simple animals of the deep for the Mermaids, Zog or King Anko, the magnificent sea serpent; very little was said about the predicament; and what was proffered was readily accepted as fate.
There were some other odd, dark moments in this book: Some talk of suicide and a bit more violence towards the favourite of my ocean dwellers: Squid; or as they book denoted them - sea devils.
While I am glad I did get to read his book, I am hesitant to read another tale of Trot. If it was Captain Bill alone, I'd jump a the opportunity.
Both Avery and myself were not at all impressed with Trot. She came off as a sassy, spoiled brat who was too often combatitive and rude. Given that she is merely a little girl, her manners could have been more forth coming and yet never was there a chastising.
Captain Bill on the other hand is always a hoot. He brings joy and patience, every bit the foil of the pom-pass Trot. Why do I harbor such ill will to this character? She did not elicit such emotion from either Avery or myself in the Oz books.
Anway, Trot and Captain Bill explore the ocean depths with mermaids only to get caught up in the throws of the most wicked being at the bottom of the sea: Zog, the wicked magician. Although I have to say, for how wicked Zog was supposed to be he was presented as not unlikable. Every bit of his despicable demeanor was tempered with compassion which made for an odd juxtaposition.
The denizens of the deep blue sea were treated rather callously, very much beneath the way any bit of life was treated in the Oz books. Painted with idiocy and a callous manner, most seemed nothing more than a swimming snack to be forgotten rather quickly.
There was much to do about slaves in this book. Whether it was the poor souls brought to the ocean's bottom to serve Zog, or the forced servitude of the simple animals of the deep for the Mermaids, Zog or King Anko, the magnificent sea serpent; very little was said about the predicament; and what was proffered was readily accepted as fate.
There were some other odd, dark moments in this book: Some talk of suicide and a bit more violence towards the favourite of my ocean dwellers: Squid; or as they book denoted them - sea devils.
While I am glad I did get to read his book, I am hesitant to read another tale of Trot. If it was Captain Bill alone, I'd jump a the opportunity.
January 6, 2012
My mother recently got a Kindle. This was the first book she downloaded. She was really excited to reread it because she remembered really enjoying it as a child. Since she was so excited about it, I decided that I should read it.
Can't say I was that excited about it. I didn't like either of the main characters - particularly Trot.
After I read it, I asked my mother what it was that she liked so much about it. She said that she mostly enjoyed the illustrations when she was little. Since the kindle version I downloaded didn't have any illustrations, I can't say anything about them. However, I can see how they would probably be really cool based on the descriptions of things in the story. I'd actually like to find a 'real' copy of this book and check out the illustrations sometime.
Can't say I was that excited about it. I didn't like either of the main characters - particularly Trot.
After I read it, I asked my mother what it was that she liked so much about it. She said that she mostly enjoyed the illustrations when she was little. Since the kindle version I downloaded didn't have any illustrations, I can't say anything about them. However, I can see how they would probably be really cool based on the descriptions of things in the story. I'd actually like to find a 'real' copy of this book and check out the illustrations sometime.
April 27, 2015
The descriptions of the mermaids and their dwellings and sea life was much different than I had expected. All good... Just different.
The story revolves around a young girl and an old seaman that are graced with the presence of the mermaids during one of their boat rides. The mermaids have decided to turn the humans into mermaids in order to abolish a rumor that mermaids are evil. The mermaids are hospitable and introduce them to the ways and creatures of the sea. But as they make their way from place to place they must be cautious of the evil, magic sea serpent Zog.
When I have kids I'd love to read this book aloud to them as an ongoing bedtime story. It appeals to both boys and girls alike I think.
The story revolves around a young girl and an old seaman that are graced with the presence of the mermaids during one of their boat rides. The mermaids have decided to turn the humans into mermaids in order to abolish a rumor that mermaids are evil. The mermaids are hospitable and introduce them to the ways and creatures of the sea. But as they make their way from place to place they must be cautious of the evil, magic sea serpent Zog.
When I have kids I'd love to read this book aloud to them as an ongoing bedtime story. It appeals to both boys and girls alike I think.
December 22, 2015
I rather enjoyed this quirky little sea tale. I found it enchanting, but also I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like why are these mermaids so nice to these humans and what's the real plan, to kill them or harm them? I must read too many books with terrible twists and turns in them. But this book turned out not to have ulterior motives and the mermaids simply wanted to be friends. It's a lovely little bedtime story or something to read to your kids. Certainly interesting characters throughout the book and the fact that magic can fix everything was a bit much. But overall I found this book charming.
November 20, 2019
It's obvious that Baum was still trying to figure out how to write books with this, because this reads more like the meandering journey format of the eariler Oz books rather than something that actually tries to have a goal. The general ocean views on slavery are also pretty squicky to think too hard about, where saving someone's life means they're in your debt forever. It makes me wonder if the Mermaids could potentially enslave any sea creature forever by the act of not eating them--I can only assume that's where the lobsters came from.
June 20, 2021
Weeding out your books - while remaining an avid book lover and collector - means deciding which are important enough to keep on your shelves. I currently have a shelf that's fully dedicated to The Wizard of Oz, as one of my all-time favorite fantasy series, and a few years ago, I started picking up any L. Frank Baum I could find at local used bookstores. (And buying a few online.) I don't know yet if I'll keep all of them, but I figured I'd start the reading process with this one - which is Oz-adjacent, featuring Trot and Cap'n Bill in their first (1911) appearance.
These two characters eventually join Dorothy and the others in Oz on various adventures. Their first encounter with a magical landscape came under the sea instead. The mermaids are simply fairies with long fishy tails, so there's much of the same feel, with a few differences. For one, in Oz, no one can be killed (the Wicked Witch of the West's melting aside), and as far as I remember, violence generally gets less prevalent as the series goes on. In the ocean, the mermaids and the great sea serpent do lots of killing. It's actually a little disturbing, especially because the sea serpent kills the leader of the devil fish simply because it was rude to him, and he felt that it'd be better off dead than alive.
I was bothered, too, by the serpent deciding that he "owned" the mermaid queen and the other three because he'd saved their lives - and that he'd been terribly angry with them for not coming to visit him. They're lucky that he likes them enough to be generally on their side, I suppose, because he's as selfish and power-hungry as Zog.
I'm also not entirely convinced that the great magician Zog was 100% evil. He did attempt to boil and freeze the mermaids and their human companions, so I'm not arguing that he's good. But he did save hundreds of sailors from drowning, and none of them seem to particularly hate him that much, even after spending years under the sea serving him. As his main servant says at one point, no one is completely bad, but we never got a chance to find out what Zog's good points might have been.
It's also a little odd that the great mermaid queen, who has lived for thousands of years and has magical powers, is shown to be much weaker than both Zog and the sea serpent. (Both male. Since Oz has always been so female-led, I'm not saying there's a sexist factor here, but...it was a bit odd, and I didn't really like that she had to be rescued.)
The main adventure is the Zog imprisonment and escape. The rest of the book is mostly Trot and Cap'n Bill swimming around the ocean and seeing lots of interesting things, like circus crabs and seal/turtle battles and many different types of sea creatures. Baum is terrifically imaginative, as always, and spends a lot of time on descriptions - even down to the walls and intricate decor of every room they enter. I don't think I'd ever realized as a child how much detail he puts into the environments, and how ornate and pretty he makes everything - including the various characters' soft, silky dresses. I wonder about his interest in fashion and architecture and interior design - I really should get around to reading that biography I also have sitting on my Oz shelf.
Minor annoyances: how rude these humans often are to the sea creatures. They keep barging into other creatures' territories and calling them ugly or stupid or insulting them in any matter of ways for no reason at all. For instance, when they meet an octopus, Trot berates it from the start for its very existence, with some sort of wordplay that's lost on me - when doctors are referred to as "sharks" later on, I got that one, but I didn't understand the connection between an octopus and an oil corporation. Long, grasping, greedy arms? I don't think we use that evil-octopus descriptor anymore, unless I'm just out of touch.
Anyway, there was no reason for Trot to display so much open prejudice without being called out on it. That should've been part of the story, really, since the entire reason they got to visit the ocean to begin with was to correct the biased stories Cap'n Bill had been telling Trot about heartless mermaids who drown sailors. If they were wrong about this, why didn't they realize they were wrong about others, too? It doesn't seem fair for them to pick on octopi or lobsters because they look less human. It just makes Trot seem like a little bully.
There isn't a huge amount of substance to this book; I remember liking it ok, but it'd never been one of my absolute favorites. Still, it has lots of pretty descriptions in Baum's signature style, and it's a nice introduction to two characters who become important later on - and the ring the mermaid queen gives Trot is relevant, too.
As for this edition itself, it's pretty nice quality for a modern reprint. I'm not sure if some of the art was ever in color - some of the images seem lower quality, like they're not being printed from the original plates - but for the most part, this is a readable, attractive design. I noticed a couple of typesetting errors, including an [Illustration] placeholder that they forgot to remove.
I prefer finding original copies in stores where I can, but that isn't always possible, especially if you're looking for a book where the binding isn't coming apart and the pages don't smell musty. So while I wouldn't run out and buy a whole set from this press, it's a good option if you can't readily find a copy elsewhere.
These two characters eventually join Dorothy and the others in Oz on various adventures. Their first encounter with a magical landscape came under the sea instead. The mermaids are simply fairies with long fishy tails, so there's much of the same feel, with a few differences. For one, in Oz, no one can be killed (the Wicked Witch of the West's melting aside), and as far as I remember, violence generally gets less prevalent as the series goes on. In the ocean, the mermaids and the great sea serpent do lots of killing. It's actually a little disturbing, especially because the sea serpent kills the leader of the devil fish simply because it was rude to him, and he felt that it'd be better off dead than alive.
I was bothered, too, by the serpent deciding that he "owned" the mermaid queen and the other three because he'd saved their lives - and that he'd been terribly angry with them for not coming to visit him. They're lucky that he likes them enough to be generally on their side, I suppose, because he's as selfish and power-hungry as Zog.
I'm also not entirely convinced that the great magician Zog was 100% evil. He did attempt to boil and freeze the mermaids and their human companions, so I'm not arguing that he's good. But he did save hundreds of sailors from drowning, and none of them seem to particularly hate him that much, even after spending years under the sea serving him. As his main servant says at one point, no one is completely bad, but we never got a chance to find out what Zog's good points might have been.
It's also a little odd that the great mermaid queen, who has lived for thousands of years and has magical powers, is shown to be much weaker than both Zog and the sea serpent. (Both male. Since Oz has always been so female-led, I'm not saying there's a sexist factor here, but...it was a bit odd, and I didn't really like that she had to be rescued.)
The main adventure is the Zog imprisonment and escape. The rest of the book is mostly Trot and Cap'n Bill swimming around the ocean and seeing lots of interesting things, like circus crabs and seal/turtle battles and many different types of sea creatures. Baum is terrifically imaginative, as always, and spends a lot of time on descriptions - even down to the walls and intricate decor of every room they enter. I don't think I'd ever realized as a child how much detail he puts into the environments, and how ornate and pretty he makes everything - including the various characters' soft, silky dresses. I wonder about his interest in fashion and architecture and interior design - I really should get around to reading that biography I also have sitting on my Oz shelf.
Minor annoyances: how rude these humans often are to the sea creatures. They keep barging into other creatures' territories and calling them ugly or stupid or insulting them in any matter of ways for no reason at all. For instance, when they meet an octopus, Trot berates it from the start for its very existence, with some sort of wordplay that's lost on me - when doctors are referred to as "sharks" later on, I got that one, but I didn't understand the connection between an octopus and an oil corporation. Long, grasping, greedy arms? I don't think we use that evil-octopus descriptor anymore, unless I'm just out of touch.
Anyway, there was no reason for Trot to display so much open prejudice without being called out on it. That should've been part of the story, really, since the entire reason they got to visit the ocean to begin with was to correct the biased stories Cap'n Bill had been telling Trot about heartless mermaids who drown sailors. If they were wrong about this, why didn't they realize they were wrong about others, too? It doesn't seem fair for them to pick on octopi or lobsters because they look less human. It just makes Trot seem like a little bully.
There isn't a huge amount of substance to this book; I remember liking it ok, but it'd never been one of my absolute favorites. Still, it has lots of pretty descriptions in Baum's signature style, and it's a nice introduction to two characters who become important later on - and the ring the mermaid queen gives Trot is relevant, too.
As for this edition itself, it's pretty nice quality for a modern reprint. I'm not sure if some of the art was ever in color - some of the images seem lower quality, like they're not being printed from the original plates - but for the most part, this is a readable, attractive design. I noticed a couple of typesetting errors, including an [Illustration] placeholder that they forgot to remove.
I prefer finding original copies in stores where I can, but that isn't always possible, especially if you're looking for a book where the binding isn't coming apart and the pages don't smell musty. So while I wouldn't run out and buy a whole set from this press, it's a good option if you can't readily find a copy elsewhere.
May 10, 2012
Well Frank Baum had a great imagination. I did get a bit bored but then I'm an adult. I loved his Oz books but this is not one of them although the charachters of Trot and Captain Bill eventually go to OZ in a later book. The thing I loved about the OZ series is the great Art Nouveau illustrations. When you read books on the older Kindle you don't see those illustrations.
August 21, 2016
Everyone knows The Wizard of OZ by Frank Baum but he also wrote several other OZ books, short stories, and several books about mermaids (The Sea Fairies is one of the mermaid books). I read the first few chapters of this book aloud to second graders and point them to www.gutenberg.org for this and other free books that they can read online or on various devices like iPad and Kindle.
May 6, 2014
Trot and her friend Cap'n Bill go on an exciting adventure below the sea with Queen Aquareine and all the mermaids... They are introduced to all the sea creatures, learn quite alot about the ocean dispelling alot of the myths that they've always heard, and get into a bit of danger too...
July 26, 2014
A pretty cute book. I liked Trot and Cap'n Bill, and the word play of King Anko's speeches and the names of the sea creatures was clever. This book also managed to drum up some dramatic tension in the climax, and do away with a much more demonic bad guy than is common in the Oz books.
January 2, 2017
Very fun
L. Frank Baum is probably the first person to create a book that has a largely girl cast in a fairytale environment that still can appeal to all. A bit grim at times, (the villain's end is rather grisly,) but a great read for lovers of fairytales.
L. Frank Baum is probably the first person to create a book that has a largely girl cast in a fairytale environment that still can appeal to all. A bit grim at times, (the villain's end is rather grisly,) but a great read for lovers of fairytales.
January 21, 2011
Cute, imaginative and simple. A great read for younger peoples.
April 10, 2011
Light hearted, enjoyable read by the author of the Wizard of Oz.
April 12, 2011
A Baum book I hadn't read yet. Free on the Kindle!
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