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Little Mermaid
Deep under the sea, the little mermaid imagined the human world. Finally, her day came to go to the surface, and even your youngest reader can tag along on her journey! Green level for your beginning reader.
- GenresChildrens
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Gary Reed
320 books12 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Gary Reed was a prolific comic book writer and publisher. He was formerly the publisher of Caliber Comics and Vice President of McFarlane Toys.
Also wrote under assumed names (including Brent Truax, Kyle Garrett, Randall Thayer).
Gary Reed was a prolific comic book writer and publisher. He was formerly the publisher of Caliber Comics and Vice President of McFarlane Toys.
Also wrote under assumed names (including Brent Truax, Kyle Garrett, Randall Thayer).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 13, 2019
The book I have has a different ISBN (9781602701298) but is most definitely the same illustrator and author. It is part of a leveled series of books with short tales for younger children in which colored blocks on the top edge of the cover indicate if the book has familiar topics with frequently used words and repeating language patterns, or if new ideas are introduced larger vocabulary and a variety of language patterns, or if there are more complex ideas in the tales with extended vocabulary and expanded sentence structures. This version of The Little Mermaid fell into the Green category, which was the first one. The sentences were fairly short, as was the story at only 32 pages. The words were those used in lower grade levels of may second or third grade. The vocabulary was also on about the same level, with words being very easy to pronounce, recognize, and define.
This version of The Little Mermaid was not the Disney version with a young girl only having three days to kiss a prince she cannot speak to and must gain his love. It also was not the Hans Christian Anderson version with the young girl becoming sea foam if she did not complete her task. While this mermaid also gave up her voice for her chance to persuade a prince, she had different terms and a different clause in her contract for breaking it. This was a safe read for those who do not like violence, sex, nor nudity in books.
Ok, let's get down to my personal thoughts on this book: 🧜♀️💁♀️🍿🥤
The princess is given ONE YEAR to get this prince to marry her. He spends so much time with her and she still can't tell him in any way that she's a princess?? She learned to communicate so well that he considers her his best friend but she still has no way of saying she's a princess when he needs one? They've had a year to invent hand signals for her to communicate or teach her to write. This is just as implausible as the mermaid aspect.
I am glad that this Little Mermaid was given longer than a few days to foster a relationship and gain the prince's trust and love. The target audience is obviously young children and that makes the fairytale portion I didn't like ok because it's a story that isn't supposed to be real. Having this more realistic looking piece of a relationship is important. For many children, this will be one of the only relationships they see.
This version of The Little Mermaid was not the Disney version with a young girl only having three days to kiss a prince she cannot speak to and must gain his love. It also was not the Hans Christian Anderson version with the young girl becoming sea foam if she did not complete her task. While this mermaid also gave up her voice for her chance to persuade a prince, she had different terms and a different clause in her contract for breaking it. This was a safe read for those who do not like violence, sex, nor nudity in books.
Ok, let's get down to my personal thoughts on this book: 🧜♀️💁♀️🍿🥤
The princess is given ONE YEAR to get this prince to marry her. He spends so much time with her and she still can't tell him in any way that she's a princess?? She learned to communicate so well that he considers her his best friend but she still has no way of saying she's a princess when he needs one? They've had a year to invent hand signals for her to communicate or teach her to write. This is just as implausible as the mermaid aspect.
I am glad that this Little Mermaid was given longer than a few days to foster a relationship and gain the prince's trust and love. The target audience is obviously young children and that makes the fairytale portion I didn't like ok because it's a story that isn't supposed to be real. Having this more realistic looking piece of a relationship is important. For many children, this will be one of the only relationships they see.
January 31, 2021
This was a mostly traditional version of this classic Fairy Tale, though there were several differences.
When the Little Mermaid made her bargain with the Sea Witch she was given a year to try to win the Prince's heart. If she did not by that time, she would die.
Another notable difference concerned the Prince. He didn't really seem interested in the Little Mermaid at all. He took her in, after finding her on the beach, but in terms of love noting seemed to happen.
Finally, at the end, when her sisters come visit her, the night before her year is up they tell the Little Mermaid that if she cuts off the hair of the Princess the Prince fell in love with, and gives it to the Sea Witch, she can live. She refuses, and when the sun dawns on the end of her year three angles come to take the Little Mermaid with them. They tell her she performed good deeds and now she gets to live among them. That, most of all, was a striking difference.
It is always interesting to read a new version of a tale you love, even if the differences are subtle.
When the Little Mermaid made her bargain with the Sea Witch she was given a year to try to win the Prince's heart. If she did not by that time, she would die.
Another notable difference concerned the Prince. He didn't really seem interested in the Little Mermaid at all. He took her in, after finding her on the beach, but in terms of love noting seemed to happen.
Finally, at the end, when her sisters come visit her, the night before her year is up they tell the Little Mermaid that if she cuts off the hair of the Princess the Prince fell in love with, and gives it to the Sea Witch, she can live. She refuses, and when the sun dawns on the end of her year three angles come to take the Little Mermaid with them. They tell her she performed good deeds and now she gets to live among them. That, most of all, was a striking difference.
It is always interesting to read a new version of a tale you love, even if the differences are subtle.
April 15, 2020
I don't like the idea of the merfolk wearing clothing made from metal, wool, cotton etc under the sea. The illustration is very comic book style from the 70's and the story was written very basic and unsentimental.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews