The Mermaid's Three Wisdoms

by Jane Yolen, Laura Rader (Illustrator)

A mermaid who cannot speak is banished from her undersea home and sent to live on land as a human where she is found by a twelve-year-old girl with a hearing impairment.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Mermaids, Middle Grade, Kids

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1978

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Literally Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was little, my mom took me to the library and I remember checking out this book. And I LOVED it. I owe Jane Yolen many thanks for why I love mermaids so much today even still. I didn't remember every detail of this book, but enough stuck with me as I grew up and thought and dreamed about mermaids that I knew I wanted my own copy.

This is not an easy book to acquire. Unfortunately it's out of print, and I had to buy it from a 3rd party seller for a bit of a markup.

This is the story of 12-year-old Jess, a girl who is partially deaf and wears hearing aids. One day while out on the ocean, she catches a glimpse of a mermaid about her age. As punishment for allowing herself to be seen by a human, the mermaid Melusina is banished to the land. Jess finds her on the shore, and with the help of Captain A. she helps the girl adjust to her new life. All the while, Melusina is long to return to her home. Though they come from different worlds, Jess and Melusina become dear friends and because of their hinderances they can understand each other in ways that no one else could.

There are some great themes present in this short novel, and Yolen's descriptions of the mermaid's longings for the ocean are haunting and beautiful. I hope that her publisher reconsiders and makes it available for purchase again, because it's such a wonderful book for young readers.

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short fairy-tale book about friendship between a deaf girl and a mermaid. Jess - the "landgirl" - is 12 years old and the book feels about right for readers around that age.

Don't confuse this with The Little Mermaid of Disney fame - other than the idea of a mermaid who ends up on land, the two stories have little resemblance. This one is about friendship rather than romance, and learning the lesson of remembering that your actions have consequences for more than just yourself.

I don't know any hearing-impaired people very well myself, but it certainly seems to me that The Mermaid's Three Wisdoms did a good job of making Jess' struggles come alive. She spends much of her time alone, feeling like a misfit, and angry at her mother and the world at large. Her experience with the mermaid, whose inability to speak on land puts her in a similar situation, helps Jess to be more accepting of her abilities and limitations.

If you're looking for a book for a young reader, this is a fine choice.

[Andria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there any greater bibliophilic joy than rereading a favorite childhood book and finding it just as delightful as you remember it to be? I think not. This was the book that made me realize I have the soul of a mermaid. The one that made me love the mystery of the sea and shore. I haven't read it in DECADES, partly because I was afraid it wouldn't stand the test of time. I am happy to report that it does.

Ever since a close encounter with a shark (i.e. we bodysurfed the same wave) 10 years ago, I have been afraid to swim in the ocean. After rereading this book, I reconnected with my mermaid soul and played in the waves like a fearless child again. AND, I saw a teeny little sea turtle hatchling swimming out to sea, so yeah. This book is pure magic.

[Kiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad that I tracked this down (and even somehow heard about it in the first place). It's short, but lovely and evocative and filled my mermaid-fangirl heart with joy. Part of me wished that it were longer just because I enjoyed the world and characters so much; at the same time, I respect how it doesn't waste a single page, and I suppose part of the appeal probably comes from its brevity and how much is left unsaid.

4 stars.

[Laurie J. Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book in high school, but lost it before I finished. My family tracked down a copy for me this year and I finally got to finish reading the story. I still loved Jane Yolen's writing style and the illustrations. The ending was a little abrupt, but it is still a magical tale.

[Merrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. I read it for the first time in my major mermaid craze when I was 9-11 or so. Was reeeaaaaally hoping I misremembered the ending but I did not. Sweet but also a little sad

[Katy Lohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was a child, and loved it.

[Leigh Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deaf reader approves. This book is listed on my ranked list of books with deaf characters.

The author is fairly true to the deaf/hard of hearing experience. I honestly wasn't expecting much out of a book published by a hearing author in 1978! I was pleasantly surprised. Yolen captures the linguistic and social anger and frustration of the deaf child, raised as hard of hearing (or hearing impaired). It's actually a bit close to my own experiences, though I never was exposed to sign language or deaf culture until adulthood.

I liked that Jess and Melusina cannot comprehend or use the central languages of each other's worlds and must create a pidgin sign language to communicate with one another. Captain A tells Jess that this makes her deafness a gain, not a loss or a burden, which is an excellent message.

Overall, a cute and meaningful story.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful tale. A mermaid child is fun and silly she likes to jump through the waves but one day she is seen, and banished.

A young girl who is hearing impaired feels like she isn't part of the hearing community or the deaf community and is ashamed to have to use sign language. One day while rowing out to her friend who is a hermit who lives near a lighthouse she sees a mermaid.

When she is washed on shore she has no idea how to walk and she can't speak. Her gills are gone and now there is this girl trying to communicate with her using sounds, under the water all they use are signs. Will the girl who has problems hearing learn to accept who she is, and help the mermaid get back home?

For anyone though 5th grade and under will appreciate it the most, or anyone learning sign, or any child who is different. Sweet and wonderful this book is worth finding.

[Mizbelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a kid in late 80s and early 90s, there weren't a lot of mermaid stories available to me. for some reason mermaids didn't get the detailed treatment that fairies and elves and trolls and dragons got in fiction. they weren't a type of fantasy creature that might have an interesting culture or a specific biology. in my childhood, mermaids were still simply fables or symbols, never detailed fantasy beings.
this was the only other mermaid story, besides The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, that i found that got nerdy about mermaids. little world building details, like the mermaid's crying crystal tears, weave themselves throughout the story to make this a true fantasy story and not just an otherwise charming story about how people with different abilities or disabilities can become friends and save the day.

[Wit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from my school's library when they were having a book sale. I had never read it before then, but it is one that I still have with the hopes that, if I someday have children, it will be one they read and love too.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite children's books......

[The Fairy Godmother]

Based on the folklore of mermaids.

[Jean Doolittle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to add this to my own collection

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story. I loved the inclusion of a hearing-impaired character and how that plays into her communication with the mermaid. The illustrations were also lovely.