The Mermaid - Brett, Jan Review & Synopsis

 Synopsis

A 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.

Review

"A baby octopus waved its little arms at me when I glimpsed it on some coral while in the ocean off the island of Okinawa when I was visiting my daughter and her husband. It wasn't until I returned home and was musing over what creatures would take the place of the three bears in my under-the-sea Goldilocks story that it dawned on me that octopuses, intelligent and mischievous, would be just right. I admired the Okinawan houses and made the Octopus house like the island ones. When I worried out loud that the octopuses looked alien, my young friend Alma suggested they wear hats. Now the setting and the clothes were Japanese. 

 "Back in Boston, the New England Aquarium's cold-water aquarist introduced me to Sy, their famous giant Pacific octopus. I had an "arms on' experience with her. From then on, my characters seemed to take shape by themselves.

 "Alice went down a rabbit hole to find another world. For me, I stepped off the beach in Okinawa." -Jan BrettPreS-Gr 2-In an aquatic version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," Kiniro, the beautiful mermaid, is intrigued by the mystique and beauty of the little seashell house she swims by. Curious, she enters the home and sees breakfast set on the table. Unable to resist, Kiniro tastes the marine delicacies. The delicious morsel in the smallest bowl is her favorite, and she eats it up completely. The mermaid then floats to the living room and sits in three chairs. The smallest chair is the prettiest, but she breaks it to bits as she tries to wiggle in. Finally, Kiniro feels the three beds and discovers that she loves the little clamshell swing bed the most. This is where the octopus family finds her when they return to their watery abode. Not only is this fractured fairy tale a delight to read, there is also an adorable side story skillfully told in the border art as only Brett can. Set in the waters off of the coast of Okinawa, this colorful picture book is exquisite. The full-page illustrations are gorgeous in shades of turquoise, pink, green, and blue. The border art is detailed, and readers could spend hours diving into all there is to explore. VERDICT A one-on-one treat for folktale aficionados and, of course, for Brett's many fans.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

The Mermaid

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.

        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."

A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books, 10th Edition

Whether used for thematic story times, program and curriculum planning, readers' advisory, or collection development, this updated edition of the well-known companion makes finding the right picture books for your library a breeze. • Offers easy subject access to children's picture books • Features a user-friendly organization • Provides in-depth indexing and full bibliographic detail

        (Rubin, Adam), 1089 Those darn squirrels and the cat next door ( Rubin , Adam ), 1089 Those darn squirrels fly south (Rubin, Adam), 1089 Those magnificent sheep in their flying machine (Bently, Peter), 605 Those messy Hempels (Luciani, ..."

Really Truly

The Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes grapple with pirates and mermaids in the third cozy mystery of the Edgar Award–nominated middle grade series from the author of the beloved Mother-Daughter Book Club books. Truly Lovejoy is excited for the perfect summer in Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire: swim practice outside, working at the bookstore, one-on-one time with her mom, and best of all, time with the dreamy RJ Calhoun who may just like Truly back. But the idyllic falls apart when she’s sent off to mermaid academy—sparkly tail and all. Luckily, a mystery is never too far behind the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes, and synchronized swimming turns into a hunt for a sunken ship and an investigation of the founding of Pumpkin Falls…which may have involved more pirates than originally thought. And as the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes get closer to the heart of the mystery and Truly gets closer to her mermaid debut, she may just learn to come out of her shell.

        Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen The Mermaid by Jan Brett The Mermaid Handbook by Carolyn Turgeon The Pirate Queen by Emily Arnold McCully The Pirates of Penzance by W. S. Gilbert ..."

A to Zoo, Supplement to the Ninth Edition: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books, 9th Edition

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This supplement updates the ninth edition of the classic reference with information on children's picture books published in 2014 and 2015. It is an essential guide for collection development and readers' advisory as well as an invaluable resource for program planning. • Offers quick access to subjects of interest to young children • Provides easy-to-understand subject headings that can be used by patrons as well as professionals • Helps in preparing reading lists and organizing storytime themes • Covers a broad range of subjects to meet the needs of librarians, teachers, parents, and homeschoolers • Features user-friendly organization • Includes in-depth indexing and full bibliographical details

        Jack (dePaola, Tomie), 84 Jack Frost (Joyce, William), 96 The jacket (Hall, Kirsten), 91 Jackrabbit McCabe and the ... 98 Last stop on Market Street ( de la Peña , Matt ), 84 Latke, the lucky dog (Fischer, Ellen), 87 The legend of Saint ..."

The Publishers Weekly

        Enduring THE RECENT SUCCESSES of Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters and Americans in Paris : A Literary Anthology are ex- amples of the way the Library of America is " expanding what the notion of great American literature is , " said ..."

Mermaid Inn

Escape to Matchmaker Bay in this hilarious and heartwarming second chance romance from the USA Today bestselling "master of witty banter" (Entertainment Weekly). Eve Abbott has a problem--actually, make that a lot of problems. And they're all going to get worse the moment her toes hit the sand in Matchmaker Bay. Once a blissful summer escape, now the tiny town just reminds Eve of loss. Inheriting her aunt's beloved Mermaid Inn is the only reason Eve is coming back. She's definitely not ready to handle nosy neighbors, extensive renovations, or the discovery that a certain heartbreaker still lives down the street... Police Chief Sawyer Collins always does the right thing, even when it costs him everything. Like Evie. He's spent the past ten years trying to forget her--to forget how right she felt in his arms, to forget the pain in her eyes the day she left. The last thing he expects is to see her back in town or to find that the spark between them is as strong as ever. Sawyer knows this is his only chance to prove that his feelings have always been real... before Eve turns tail and leaves for good. Includes the bonus novella Meant to Be by Alison Bliss!

         Brett peered up from the road long enough to check the position of the sun, which had already descended behind the trees. It was getting dark, and he hadn't had time to get ... Though it was the beginning of January , winters in South Texas."

The Naval Chronicle: Volume 35, January-July 1816

Volume 35 of the Naval Chronicle (1816) focuses on efforts to suppress piracy in the Mediterranean.

         Brett , to the Wye; S. P. Blackwood, to the Active; G. Breretont to the Queen Charlotte; John Hill, to the Surly cutter; T. Lewis, to the Hound : H. Henderson, to the Harpy; R. Fair, to the Griper ; C. Claxton, to the Tartar ; R. M. ..."

Jim Kobak's Kirkus Reviews

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        1227 Smith , Janice Lee THERE'S A GHOST IN THE 1219 COATROOM 1227 Snyder , Dianne GEORGE AND THE DRAGON Baker , Barbara OH , EMMA 1219 WORD .... 1227 Bennett , Jay COVERUP ..... 1220 Soto , Gary TAKING SIDES 1228 Brett , Jan BERLIOZ THE ..."

The Storyteller's Sourcebook

The first edition provides descriptions of folktales and references to more than 700 published sources of folktales. The new edition covers folktales from 1983-1999. Both editions include thorough indexing by subject, motif, title, ethnic group and country of origin and a comprehensive bibliography.

         Brett , Jan . Beauty and the Beast . pb . Cauley , Lorinda Bryan . Puss in Boots . pb . Chorao , Kay . The Baby's Story Book . 46-47 . Chorao , Kay . The Child's Fairy Tale Book . 53-63 . Conover , Chris . Mother Goose and the Sly Fox ..."

Elementary Children's Literature

Written in a personable tone, this concise literature methods text is filled with classroom applications and teaching strategies for future teachers and parents of preschool and elementary children. Organized around genres, this student-friendly text presents the basic children's literature course content. Each genre chapter contains extensive up-to-date bibliographies most with annotations of books in print, and a few exceptional out-of-print books, and for each genre, there is a list of evaluation criteria. This exceptional textbook not only includes books about minorities in each chapter but it also features works by minority authors and illustrators. Uniquely, Elementary Children's Literature offers instructional and curriculum tie-ins that are woven within the text and in literature response boxes at strategic places in each chapter. Book illustrations are included at the beginning of each chapter as well as throughout the narrative.

        The Little Mermaid . ... Brett , Jan . Berlioz the Bear . Putnam , 1991 . Burton , Virginia Lee . Choo Choo : The Story of a Little Engine Who Ran Away . Houghton Mif- flin , 1937 . Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel ."

The Spectator

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        15Jun27(AR) Breaking the Silence ( Mermaid ), 15 Jun 28( AR) Brecon and Radnor by-election, the: the campaign, 22 Jun 14(A); the candidates' chances, 29 Jun 6(PC); 29 Jun 7(D) Brett . Dorothv: a biography. 26 Jan 25(R) Brett ."

The Names and Descriptions of the Proprietors of Unclaimed Dividends on Bank Stock, and on All Government Funds and Securities, Transferable at the Bank of England. By Order of the Court of Directors

         Jan . July 1799 July 1804 10 4 1816 ·· July Jan . 1816 1816 1 Sarah Burton , 18 , New - road , Mary - le - bone , Spinster Sarah Busher , West Cowes , Isle of Wight , Widow Selby Sibylla Brett , Peckham , Surry , Widow ."

Visual Images Linked to Cultural Narratives

        Two women selected Cinderella and other four women selected characters from The Little Mermaid , Lady and the Tramp , Anastasia , and ... One woman selected The Mitten by Jan Brett to discuss ethnic generalizations ."

Forthcoming Books

        How to Love a Black Woman . 176p . ... No Mentor but Myself " Jack London on Writing & Writers . 2nd ed . 224p . ... Desert Queen : The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell : Adventurer , Adviser to Kings , Ally of Lawrence of Arabia ."

Merpeople

People have been fascinated by merpeople and merfolk since ancient times. From the sirens of Homer’s Odyssey to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and the film Splash, myths, stories, and legends of half-human, half-fish creatures abound. In modern times “mermaiding” has gained popularity among cosplayers throughout the world. In Merpeople: A Human History, Vaughn Scribner traces the long history of mermaids and mermen, taking in a wide variety of sources and using 117 striking images. From film to philosophy, church halls to coffee houses, ancient myth to modern science, Scribner shows that mermaids and tritons are—and always have been—everywhere.

        ... Research, and Applications (Cambridge, 1993) Bondeson, Jan , The Feejee Mermaid and Other Essays ... 103—42 Brett -James, Norman G., The Life of Peter Collinson (London, 1926) Brink-Roby, Heather, 'Siren Canora: The Mermaid and the ..."

Something about a Mermaid

A mermaid discovered by Janie and her family at the seashore goes home with them to their city apartment.

        A mermaid discovered by Janie and her family at the seashore goes home with them to their city apartment."

Sudden Death in Opera

An aspect of dying in opera, rarely observed or commented on, is Sudden Unexpected Death. There are many deaths in this melodramatic genre: most follow expected causes like murder, suicide, or old age. This book explores those deaths which occur without obvious natural causes. These are often central to the overall drama of the opera, representing denouements forming the epiphany of the story and the apotheosis for the audience. The book identifies 50 operas where such events occur, exploring the role of the dramatis personae, the circumstances of their dying, and specific themes that emerge. These include a preponderance of females, especially in the 19th century, who die mainly at the end of the operas, often in the context of tragedy. It charts the growing awareness in the medical sciences of the unconscious forces driving human behaviour, including liminal mental states and trances, which influenced these operas and continue to affect human behaviour to the present day. In addition, the changing philosophies that are intertwined with operatic narratives, in particular stemming from Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, are important in the book’s exegesis, as is the special role of Wagner’s compositions. This leads to the exploration of recurrent concepts such as the Liebestod, the ewig Weibliche and redemption itself.

        The Slavonic and East European Review, 97:1; 1917 and Beyond: Continuity, Rupture and Memory in Russian Music ( January 2019), 169200. “Only an opera libretto can accommodate and transcribe the simultaneities of ensemble thinking."

White Wings: Fifty years of sail in the New Zealand trade, 1850-1900

        Sir Henry Brett . THE MERMAID . Race with Red Jacket . THE LANGSTONE . Like many of the ships built across the Atlantic ... 1 , '66 Jan . 5 , '67 Rose Jan . 2 , '68 Rose Jan . 8 , '69 Rose 93 86 Rose 92 $ 1 89 94 * On this occasion the ..."