"The Little Mermaid" is one of my favorite stories from Hans Christian Andersen and also one of my most favorite original fairy tale versions. As a result I love to look at the various adaptations that are out there and see what seems to work the best.

This telling keeps the original telling of Hans Christian Andersen's story so even though it is a lengthy read it is full of the beautiful descriptions that his writings are known for, especially with suggestions to swans and high praises of green. The writing is dark but painfully sweet while answering a lot of the plot holes that the Disney version didn't think of including in their own version.

For this Bernadette Watts version, though, the illustrations were so-so. The color palette is mostly muted pastel colors, especially when it comes to the ocean. Some of the other illustration points just showed a few pieces of coral and fish instead of more in-depth exploration of the story as one would think.

On the other hand, though, when the illustrator chose to focus on parts of the story's illustrations such as the land scenes she did a wonderful job. In this case the story feels more like it is taking place in an exotic locale then the normal setting while the result is a breathtaking new scene.

Another part that I found complaint with the story was the fact that instead of focusing on a winter scene for the mermaid whose birthday was at the time she ended up painting a more Antarctica/Arctic scene, which was just out of place. Other parts that could have been explored in beautiful vistas were rejected.

Finally in this Watts version I was upset about the portrayal of the characters. Most of the characters were blurred, the faces slightly mangled and it was hard to see any facial features. So disappointing. But I did enjoy seeing that the sea witch was made into just a regular mermaid instead of distinguished otherwise although the placing of a sea turtle was on a bit of the confusing side.

All in all it was a decent illustrated version of this fairy tale favorite but one I wouldn't place in my top favorites.

**Please note I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

The Little Mermaid has always been my favorite Classic Tale. I would want to be just technical with this one. I love the illustrations. It's just that, as a Children's book, the texts on each page are too lengthy and knowing kids, they won't make an effort on reading something that is that long.

I requested and received an e-ARC from Hans Christian Andersen and North South Books Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The classic Hans Christian Andersen tale the Little Mermaid re-released with ethereal and beautifully muted illustrations by Bernadette Watts. I love this fairy tale and even though I love the happy ending in the Disney version I appreciate the fact that writers like Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm did not sugar coat stories for children.

Beautifully illustrated with a palette of blues, greens and soft colours; this is the original little mermaid story and so vicious and painful. No Disney happy fairy tale magic exists in the original text that Hans Christian Andersen wrote. Additionally the story is longer than your average children's book, but I didn't mind as reading the delicate font allowed me to also be immersed in each pages beautiful illustrations.

It's important to note that Andersen first published this story in 1836. To say that relations between men and women have changed over the last 250+ years would be an understatement. So be forewarned the original masculine domination themes, the trickery and subservience of women is portrayed here along with more. A lot of critique has been tossed at The Little Mermaid over the years; and rightfully so. It's not a pleasant story; and yet somehow our heroine ends up with a happy ending. This really highlights that the belief of the day was that the suffering of women would be rewarded in the afterlife. A very Christian belief that fits nicely into the rhetoric of the 1800's.

I first read this original text when I was about 8 years old. Disney had just released their version of Ariel (1989) and I was obsessed (as little girls tend to be over Disney movies). The songs, the excitement, and my favourite part, Ursula. As I grew older I came to realize that I never saw myself being a princess; but if I was any character it was likely to be the clever villain. Interpret that as you will (lol). I also realized I shouldn't trust any Disney movie ever again!

What really stuck with me, right up to today, from this original story, is that pain and suffering is usually required in order to gain something you desire. Not a bad lesson for an 8-year-old. I did wonder what my Mom was hoping I'd get from the story at the time. As an adult we discussed it and she told me that all she ever tried to do was ensure I had enough reading material as I blew through books in minutes, not hours. Content became irrelevant as I got older as she figured I'd ask questions if I had any; and just wanted to keep me reading.

If you want a copy of the original story this is a beautifully illustrated version. I definitely recommend this latest edition from NorthSouth Books. If you are hoping for some nostalgia towards the Disney movie or story this is really not for you. For today's young girls it's probably worth having them read it and then setting up a conversation about how they feel about: the outcome of the story, what they think of Ariel taking on voluntary pain to be with Eric, and if there is a level of pain or suffering that is unreasonable. My thought here is that a little girl might think that a man who loves her and occasionally beats her is acceptable based on this story (for example). Of course that is up to each individual parent to decide. I would not recommend this as a gift for a little girl you don't know really well or know how the parents might react. It's a bit too vicious to be loved by many; and it veers so far away from the Disney story that I could see some parents who have not read it being upset by the content.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Absolute classic of a story. It took a good while to read it to our 2 year old, but she really enjoyed it and we played mermaids after, as she was so excited from the story!

This Illustrated prose is an artfully beautiful way to read the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

Wow, I didnt know that the original version was this prose poetry. Now I have an appreciation for all the other versions which translated the prose for the kids. What a loss it would have been, if the story was not so translated for the younger audience. The illustrations in this book are very other worldly. The description heavy prose is similar to Thomas Hardy and such writers. Glad to be acquainted with the original version.

I enjoyed reading Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Most children only know the Disney version of the story and aren't aware of the original fairytales. I would recommend this book as the illustrations are great and compliment the story. It's a bit long so a parent would need to read to a younger child. I would use this book in an elementary classroom as a compare and contrast activity with the Disney version of "The Little Mermaid."

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc. for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Little Mermaid is one of the stories I grew up with - well, the Disney version. I'm so glad to finally be able to read the original story by Hand Christian Andersen. The illustrations in this book bring out the whimsical fantasy side of this story but still maintains the painful heartbreaking end.

This new telling of 'The Little Mermaid' had lovely illustrations, and any little girl who loves mermaids would want to read this book. The writing was beautiful, very poetic and a stunning use of language, however young children would not understand the meaning of a lot of the words!! It is also very long, so parents would need to read this book to their kids. As a seventeen year old, I thought this book was beautiful. But I would not want to read this book to my (future) child. This book features the original, sad ending and it is very upsetting !!! This is a beautiful retelling, but it is not suited to its target audience. It is such a shame, as the writing and illustrations are wonderful.

I have always loved this story. Beautiful illustrations! A great story for a children’s story time. A bit lengthy but the illustrations will keep them engaged. Recommend! My little nieces love The Little Mermaid. Thanks for the Arc!

I loved the artwork. The artist did an amazing job with the artwork, but however I could not connect with the story. I know its an old tale, but it was so different then I expected. I did like reading it though.

Obviously this is a classic story from almost 200 years ago, so my review is not based on the tale but on the illustrations and formatting as presented in this new edition. I just honestly did not like the illustrations. I felt like they could have been so pretty and magical but they were uninspiring and odd. Also, as some other reviewers have also mentioned, this is not for young kids. There is a lot of text that will be too much for younger readers. I think there are a lot better editions with this tale and better illustrations out there. I wouldn’t recommend or buy this version.

Honestly I expected more.
This isn't a book for younger children because there's too much text on the pages.
I also didn't like the illustrations very much but probably it depends on the digital version..

... huh.

I honestly don't know if I've ever actually read "The Little Mermaid" as a child. I lived and breathed the Brothers Grimm, but, if I read anything by Andersen, it would have just been one time instead of the kind of constant rereading I did with other books. What surprised me is the following: I don't think it's a spoiler at this point that the little mermaid doesn't end up with the prince in the original story. But it had always been stuck in my head that "becoming seafoam" was the merciful way of dying for her, instead of the ultimate punishment it actually is. To which I say "... huh". Funny how the details get warped in popular culture.

Content-wise, I'm not a fan of this story in any of its iterations. In the Disney cartoon, it's mostly the fact that the 15-year-old child keeps claiming she's not a child (yes you are, Ariel, now sit down and STFU); in the musical, this is further exacerbated by the fact that Ariel's now fighting with a topless Norm Lewis (one just doesn't do that); and in all versions, including this one, it's that the "love story" is... iffy. The mermaid is a stalker with a crush, and the prince... well, I kinda lost it by the point where he made the mermaid sleep on a pillow in front of his bedroom door? There are probably legit feminist points to be made here about women swallowing their pain for men's pleasure and similar issues, but by the time we reached the ending with its deus-ex-machina, "every time you misbehave, kids, a little mermaid gets one step further away from heaven!" moral, I was mostly just amused.

The illustrations by Bernadette Watts were lovely - somewhat impressionistic in style and in absolutely beautiful colors. This edition appears to feature the full text of Andersen's tale, and there's a lot of it, so sometimes I did wish it had been spread out across more pages instead of the significant walls of text often seen here. I will say that I was a bit thrown off by the fact that the illustrations inside the book were a lot less detailed (and somewhat more stylized) than the cover, but I did genuinely enjoy both styles.

A telling of a classic, and Hans Christian Andersen wrote without the modern feminist empowering overtones. Yes, for those only knowing the Disney version, this is for those wanting women in their places.

"You are not afraid of the sea, my dumb child," said he....

and:

"People said that she was being brought up and educated in a religious house....(She) was very anxious to see whether she (herself) was really beautiful...." and then the Prince declares: "My fondest hopes are all fulfilled....for your devotion to me is great and sincere."

This is a *very* traditional tale, as caution to parents wanting a more egalitarian telling for their child. Slight spoiler for those who have not read this ancient tale: It has a very sad and sacrificial (young virginal) lamb quality to the ending, granted with accompanying ascension, so the feminine is only given equal measure (or glorified) when not physical. I would think many parents today would be horrified.

So my review reaches a dilemma: Do I review the ancient tale, or the new art in this edition?

The art review from an artist reviewer: This is dreamy and very other fae world in feeling, exactly what this tale calls for. It is detailed without being overbearing. It lives within the constraint of the text. Though not all will appreciate this style art, for the context and purpose it is spot on and well done. Side note, my digital review copy has poor resolution but I assume the final will have great reproduction of the art by Bernadette Watts:
5 stars for the artwork.

So how to rate this one? Frankly, I consider this a historical study story ONLY, from a strong-feminine point of view. I suspect fundamentalist Christians or other religious groups wanting women only for marriage and babies, not actually fully on par with men, they'll love this.

Would I read this to my daughter? Only if I wanted her horrified and completely on fire to do what is right for the cause of the feminine upon the planet, a gender that is still enslaved and taken for rape servitude and often drugged to stay in forced sex servitude (I speak from experience of our family helping girls in poor villages in India and Nepal, some villages where nearly *every* girl from age 8 to 30 is in forced sex slavery - for the birth family need to not have to feed those mouths, and from men coming and forcing the sale of the girls to brothels, where the girls are forced into addiction so they will stay put to be used for years, those girls then having daughters *raised* in brothels, babies/girls groomed for this slavery, soul-shuddering and absolutely mortifying!).

Why do I make such strong statements? Because this idea inoculation is part of the problem of fostering a world where this is in fact ok, a slow seeping into consciousness of the accepted sacrifice of females for male use, that females *willingly* submit to this, that they *willingly* submit to being in forced human trafficking. So for my own daughter, I would read it for the truth it shows: that everything about even modern developed world culture can still silently and slowly put out attempts to subvert women. And I'd look for a free copy somewhere, instead of lining pockets on the heads of girls.

As a child I thought Hans Christian Andersen was some literary god. I think now sure, he can tell a tragic story well, but his stories in original form perhaps should not be told as casual storytime, to girls or boys. They are part of the problem. I will be generous and assume he knew no better nor thought deeply of it, in that time.

So I am talking a small flicker of power and down-rating this book, to say please publishers, let's redo what was broken in the past for the GOOD of humanity (half or more feminine!) and the planet (who begets life Herself!).

For this story tells the problem of the planet Herself at this exact moment: She is sacrificed for the greed of mankind, sacrificed to overconsumption and use, all parts of her pillaged and polluted without so much as a thank you by most. So publishers, that means if a story of abusing the feminine has a *reason* to be told, so be it, ok, do it (and state your reasons). But if it simply rehashes the past without any correction, if it merely puts out that old horrific belief system, that money-grab should be considered completely shameful.

5 stars for the art.
1 star for the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC for review. This is my honest and unapologetic opinion.

Hmmm… a reasonably pleasant volume for this fairy tale, with all its darkness and dubious sexual politics. What I felt with this edition was that the modern audience would actually be better served by one of the abridged versions, either singly or in a compilation, for this story does have an antiquated sheen to it. Also, with the full text the design here forces a lot of words onto many of the pages – the artwork does manage to shine as it should, but you quite often get a whole chunk o' words, which might put off a reader to which this would normally appeal. The design is again pleasant – I loved the suitably exotic aspects to the buildings the mermaid sees from offshore, and the different landscapes she and her sisters witness, but it did feel a little too pastel to make a boy keen. So I'm assuming very literate young girls with find favour with this most – if any other audiences enjoy it, then all well and good. But I hope said girls don't think sacrifices for some dumb kind of Christian soul – and a bloke – need be made in their day and age.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I am a huge fairy tale fan and was excited to read this edition of The Little Mermaid. The illusrations are lovely and the retelling nicely done. My kids will love it and I look forward to sharing it with them.

The story of the Little Mermaid is well known but, depending on your source, the story can end in one of two ways.  The story as conceived by Andersen does not have the Disney happy ending. 


This title provides a full and detailed long version of the tale.  What I like best about this version though are the illustrations.  They are truly gorgeous!  The artist is well known in Europe although this is the first time that I have seen her magical work. 


If you want a beautiful version of a classic tale, this book is so worth buying.  I loved it.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I think readers will be divided into two categories: 1) those familiar with only the Disney version and therefore did not know that the original does not have a happy ending and b) those who have read the Andersen original and were interested in what Bernadette's visuals would bring to the story. The former will rate the book low because they are surprised by the downbeat ending; the latter will rate the book based on how the drawings add or detract to the story.

This book is very faithful to the original version, which is very much a Christian-themed set of allegories meant especially for female children. It teaches piety, family values, meekness of the woman, and that non-Christian women have no soul unless a man will marry them. The mermaid, since she is not human, is seen as a pet and only through sacrifice for the man does she find peace. These are values that obviously are not shared today but one has to remember that it is a story of its time.

Andersen did write in a way that was very evocative and there are beautiful descriptions and much more than a simple story of a mermaid falling in love with a prince. The story is not 'dumbed down' here though I wonder at the very small and clunky type throughout and the marriage of imagery and images. It won't keep little children glued to the pages when read aloud and may also be a bit too simplistic of a story for older children.

The pastel water-color illustrations have an impressionistic feel. I found it interesting that the author set it in an Indian-inspired city (including women wearing sarees and men wearing feathered turbans). But I also found that the drawings felt very abstract and disconnected to the beautiful details of the story. E.g., a page will have a lot of text and then have a loose border of a random seashore landscape that hardly adds to the story. That juxtaposition of lyrical storytelling with abstract artwork did feel jarring at times. When reading, I would envision lush surroundings, a prince's dark hair, his beautiful bride, and his affection for her (as Andersen describes it). But there would be a picture of a beach, maybe some dolphins, and a blue sky on that page.

There was nothing wrong in terms of the artistry of Bernadette's illustrations. They are lovely and do skew a bit young in appeal (much as you would expect of nursery school drawings). But at the same time, perhaps it would have been better to condense and abridge the Andersen story to harmonize the visuals with the words a bit more seamlessly. It's almost as if I am reading a very different story than the one being told in the images. For me, that greatly lessened my enjoyment of the story. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.