Briony May SmithRezensionen

A little human girl named Molly, living in the fishing village of Merporth, and a young mermaid named Merrin, living in the harbor at the foot of the village, are best friends in this magical picture book from British author/illustrator Briony May Smith. Although not able to fully inhabit one another's worlds, they meet where the two join, having many adventures above and below the water. Then one night, when the power of the Mermaid Moon is supreme, Merrin is able to leave the ocean, and pay a floating visit to her land-bound friends. But after a wonderful, fun-filled time, Merrin and Molly become stuck in a tree, putting everything in danger. For if Merrin does not return to the sea before the reflection of the moon on the water disappears, her scales will dry out, and magic will disappear from the cove forever...

Having absolutely loved Briony May Smith's Margaret's Unicorn, an earlier picture book about a little girl and the magical creature she befriends, I was very excited to track down The Mermaid Moon. I was not at all disappointed, finding the story both heartwarming and enchanting, and enjoying the lovely, expressive artwork immensely! I really appreciate the way in which Smith tells stories about little girls and their magical adventures, setting her tales in contemporary environments, but also populating them with mythical creatures and beings that feel timeless (or out of time). Whereas the earlier book about Margaret presented a fantastical variant on the classic story of not being able to keep a wild creature (however beloved) as a companion, here we have a magical version of an inter-community friendship story. It's both reassuring and heartwarming that, despite the fact that they hail from different elements, Molly and Merrin find a way to come together. The accompanying mixed media artwork captures the beauty of both girls' worlds, but I think it is the underwater scenes that truly shine. The depictions of Merrin's mermaid cave are just gorgeous, and I particularly loved the play of light and shadow on the faces of the little mermaid and her mother. Recommended to young mermaid lovers, and to any picture book readers looking for magical stories with a contemporary "realistic" setting.

A cute friendship story between between a little girl and a mermaid.

Molly, a human who lives in Merporth, is best friends with Merrin, a mermaid who lives in the harbor. On the night of the special mermaid moon, all the sea creatures can swim through the air and visit the town - but, Merrin's mother warns her, they must return to the sea before the moon's reflection disappears from the water. This Cinderella setup provides just the right engine to move the story, as Molly and Merrin wish for more time together. The two actually make responsible choices, but when Molly is stuck in a tree, Merrin refuses to leave her. She remembers a whale song her mother taught her, and calls for help, and the ending is safe and happy for all.

A sweet, magical tale.

"There was once a girl called Imelda and all her life she had lived next to a wood...."

Imelda is friends with the fairies, and when a goblin king kidnaps the fairy queen, Imelda helps the fairies trick the goblin into returning their queen - or else. They use the goblin's greed against him, together with their knowledge of the forest's plants ("Blue berries will make your hair change colour, but be careful these red ones will turn you into a worm!"), to vanquish the goblin and free their queen.

See also: Bo the Brave by Bethan Wollvin, Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl

If you have any inclination toward picture books whatsoever, give this one a go. The illustrations are an absolute comfort and delight. I wanted to crawl right into everyone of them.

Imelda lived next to a fairy forest, and spent many happy days playing with the woodland fairy folk and their queen. Then one day a terrible Goblin King arrived, and things began to change. The interloper's followers began to chase the fairies off, and the Goblin King imprisoned the Queen of the Fairies in a little cage. It fell to human Imelda to come up with a plan to rout this enemy, using some magical berries to do it...

After reading and absolutely loving British picture-book author and artist Briony May Smith's Margaret's Unicorn recently, I went in search of more of her work, discovering Imelda & the Goblin King in the process. Although she has illustrated other books, these appear to be the only two (as yet) that she has both written and illustrated. I had high hopes for it, given the fact that I enjoyed the other book, and that it is published by the London-based Flying Eye Books, whose catalog is very strong on beautiful artwork. Unfortunately, I didn't think this was quite the equal of Smith's subsequent unicorn story. Despite the magical setting and premise, I simply didn't feel a sense of enchantment, and I simply couldn't work up much interest in the characters or their plight. The artwork was cute enough, but didn't have that special something that made Margaret's Unicorn stand out. It may be that I am judging this one too harshly, as I can't help comparing it to Smith's other book, but in the end this was just a moderately enjoyable but ultimately forgettable original fairy-tale, one of hundreds that I have read. Tastes vary of course, so I would still recommend this one to young fairy-tales lovers, looking for stories of adventure.½

When Margaret and her parents move to a remote cottage in the mountains, in order to be close to her grandmother, the young girl isn't sure how she feels about this new place. Then one misty day, watching a cloud of seeming unicorns fly by, she discovers a baby unicorn in the grass, apparently left behind by the herd. Margaret and her family care for the unicorn for one year, and in that time the young girls comes to love her equine companion. When the herd returns, the unicorn returns to his mother, but he visits Margaret again when he is somewhat older, and there is a hint that there will always be a connection between the two...

Margaret's Unicorn is my first encounter with British author/illustrator Briony May Smith's work, but I certainly hope it will not be my last! I found it absolutely delightful, appreciating both the sensitively told, ultimately heartwarming tale, and the charming, expressive artwork. An online friend brought my attention to this one, last year, but I had to wait a while until my public library obtained a copy. How glad I am that they did! I loved the use of color and light here - the setting feels like the Scottish Highlands to me - and I thought Smith's changing depiction of the unicorn - speckled as a baby, and pure white when grown - was beautiful. I also greatly appreciated the fact that Margaret didn't get to "keep" the unicorn - that he is depicted as a wild and free magical being, one that might need help from time to time, but that must be allowed to rejoin his kind. I think this gives the story greater power, highlighting the fact that the animals we love do not really "belong" to us, but rather, are friends who are in our care for a time. Highly recommended, to all young unicorn lovers, and perhaps to older ones as well.

Caught my eye at the Carle Bookshop.

"My whole world changed when we moved to a faraway place, to a cottage in the mountains, to be near Grandma..." The scenery and Margaret's fair isle sweaters suggest Scotland, and Margaret is sent outdoors to play - where she sees unicorns leaping from the ocean mist into the sky, and finds a baby unicorn left behind. The baby is seamlessly incorporated into the family until the adult unicorns return in the spring and they have to say goodbye. The unicorn, grown, returns for a final visit when Margaret is playing with a (human) friend. Charming illustrations make this a cozy read for unicorn-lovers.

*

Re-read November 2023½

I'm not really a fan of unicorns, but I have a lot of kids who are - they like "pretty" unicorns, not so much the humorous ones though. I am a fan of Briony May Smith's rustic, cozy and fantastical art, which I first encountered in Imelda and the goblin king. So put Smith and unicorns together and I am there!

Margaret, a sturdy little girl with flyaway brown hair, plaid skirt, and cozy red sweater, narrates the story of the magical events of one year. In the autumn she moves to a new home "in the mountains" with her parents and goes out to explore on her first day. There she sees a herd of magical unicorns in the clouds and finds a dappled grey unicorn colt, complete with long, silky tail, left behind.

With the help of her grandmother and parents, Margaret cares for her magical new friend. She comes to love the beauty of the mountains and makes new friends there, but her unicorn is always with her. When spring comes and the unicorns return, Margaret sadly lets her friend go, back to his herd. She sees him once more time, the following year, when he is grown and stops briefly to see her then goes back to his herd. She tells her friend, Abbie, "That was an old friend." and the two happily return to Margaret's new home.

This is a little lengthy for a storytime read-aloud, but unicorn fans and those who love heartwarming, magical stories will be delighted by the beauty of nature and the unicorns in this joyful story of friendship and new experiences.

Verdict: A must-have for your elementary unicorn fans, it also makes a lovely read-aloud for older listeners.

ISBN: 9781984896537; Published September 2020 by Schwartz and Wade Books; Purchased for the library

A sweet story, charmingly illustrated. I can't resist unicorns, especially dapple-gray ones, and outdoorsy girls in wool. The story has a nice intergenerational relationship between granddaughter and grandmother. I love how the grandmother immediately understands her granddaughter and the needs of the unicorn: they eat flowers and drink moon-drenched water. Many British and Irish people seem to be in closer touch with the magic of the world than Americans. My favorite illustration is the one where Margaret is showing her unicorn a horse chestnut and proclaims the inside "felt like a little fair fur coat." The warm autumn shades and the curiosity of both girl and unicorn are lovely.

Classic good versus evil. The artwork is fun and busy; which is very fitting for the story. It was lots of fun to read and great for young readers to take on independently. I will definitely use it in my classroom!

Just so you know, I am in love with this book. I had to buy another copy for the library because I refused to give up my review copy. Hopefully I will not be turned into a worm for my greediness.

Also, this is not the best cover picture, it's just what I could find. There's actually a cool binding of gold leaves on the edge and the art is much more brilliant.

Imelda lives next to an enchanted wood and happily plays with the fairy folk there. Until one day, a mean bullying goblin arrives. The fairy queen tries inviting him to a wonderful feast; maybe he won't be so scary if someone is kind to him? Nope, still nasty. In fact, he's not just nasty but greedy and selfish as well! When the fairy queen remonstrates, he steals her so he won't have to share anything - not the feast, not the woods, and certainly not the throne. But Imelda has a plan...and lots of special berries...and the goblin king gets his comeuppance, once and for all.

Innumerable little creatures cavort across the pages in bright colors and silly attitudes. Anyone who enjoys poring over small details will love finding all the different fairies and fantastical creatures that fill the pages in hues from brown and red to green and yellow. Imelda is a perfect heroine, ordinary in her plain brown hair and dress, but determined and resourceful. I absolutely loved the ending - some characters just are mean and being nice to them doesn't help! Kids know this and will delight in the brisk justice of the conclusion.

Verdict: A fairy tale in the best sense of the word with villains and heroines, magic and fairies, and a satisfying ending. This will not only be a fun story for a magic storytime, but will definitely be a favorite for kids for years to come. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781909263659; Published October 20 by Flying Eye; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library