The Mermaid Princess

The Mermaid Princess is a children's picture book written and illustrated by the very talented Shirley Barber. I selected this book to look at specifically because it was one that I loved reading when I was younger.

The book is basically about mermaids being discovered by innocent children who are at the beach on a holiday. A little pixie who also resides at the beach sees that they need help to get the mermaid back to her family who got separated from one another in a storm. The pixie goes on an adventure to find her family while the 2 children, Jon and Wendy looked after her. Eventually, the mermaids family are reunited with her. It is a holiday that Jon and Wendy would never ever forget.

I would not use this book for a whole class activity, as obviously this genre would not appeal to everyone, however I would have it in my classroom for independent reading as this book is one that most young girls would love to read. All young girls love reading about mermaids, pixies, dolphins, princesses and magic which is what Barber has incorporated into this picture book.

Along with the fantastic story line, the descriptive language that Barber has incorporated makes the book interesting to read and I believe also allows students to build upon their vocabulary while reading a book that they enjoy. The language also allows the reader to clearly understand what is happening in the illustrations etc.

Barber's illustrations throughout this picture book are absolutely spectacular. They are extremely detailed, with lots of bright colours which capture the readers attention. The illustrations really portray the 'magical' theme to Barber's books, which her readers really enjoy.