This is the story of how one little girl can live two lives. Daylight finds her on land, taking her bath, putting away toys, and trying to avoid her little brother who manages to hone in on her exact location NO MATTER WHAT! It's a tough job, but she's up to the task...especially considering the fact that once nighttime falls, she becomes a mermaid! I mean, how awesome is that?! Petting otters, playing hide and seek, rescuing cruise ships with the help of your aquatic friends (hey, no one ever said she was self centered), and keeping curious little merboys out of trouble (hey...he looks an awful lot like...nah, couldn't be...), who wouldn't want to experience it all...and experience it she does, until the dawn light breaks and once again, she's a girl. It's almost like it was all a dream...and yet, do I smell saltwater?




I liked how our mermaid was such a strong and determined young lady, something easy to see from her expression on the front cover. There wasn't any challenge she wasn't up to, nor obstacle she couldn't think her way around....like trading her seahorse for wheels when she needed to traverse the shore. I had a giggle at the sea witch's offer she turned down as well, knowing she'd be able to figure things out another way (unlike a certain other red head we know and love), and the final scenes where her and her little brother are obviously in on the same secret their parents happen to be clueless about, brought a smile to my face. A fun adventure under and over the sea for kiddos and adults alike...


**copy received for review ( )

A little girl by day and a mermaid by night, the heroine of this entertaining picture-book adventure brings the reader along as she slips out of her room, down the slide at her window, and into the great big ocean. Cavorting with her many marine friends, the little mermaid-girl enjoys the Midsummer Sea Festival at her underwater palace, but must interrupt the festivities the search for the little merboy who is usually at her side, but who has wandered off onto land...

The second picture-book collaboration between author Deborah Underwood and illustrator Cambria Evan, following upon their Part-time Princess, Part-time Mermaid is a celebration of the imaginative play of one little girl and her younger brother. Or is it imaginative play? Maybe the eponymous heroine really is a part-time mermaid! The artwork by Evans is colorful and cute, with a fun cartoon style that matches the lighthearted story quite well. Recommended to young mermaid fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books about the hidden adventures children have, whether in reality or in their dreams. ( )