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Mermaids in the Moonlight
‘I wonder how many mermaids there must be to make all these different noises in the lagoon. They say that, over a hundred years ago, the sounds used to be so loud that you needn’t even enter the lagoon … You could simply walk along the banks or on a bridge to hear them.’
Nilavoli and Amma voyage down a lagoon in Mattakalappu, listening to the mysterious sounds that rise from the deep.
As little Nilavoli listens in wonder, Amma dives into folklore and fishes out spellbinding tales of mermaids from around the world. From the royal mermaid Mélusine of Luxembourg to Julnar the sea-born from West Asia, from the shapeshifting Menana of the Ottawa Nation to the mermaid princess Suvarnamaccha, a daughter of Ravana who fell in love with Hanuman, the stories are all touched with magic.
Like a mermaid’s song, this beautifully illustrated picture book by acclaimed author and poet Sharanya Manivannan will enchant every young reader.
Nilavoli and Amma voyage down a lagoon in Mattakalappu, listening to the mysterious sounds that rise from the deep.
As little Nilavoli listens in wonder, Amma dives into folklore and fishes out spellbinding tales of mermaids from around the world. From the royal mermaid Mélusine of Luxembourg to Julnar the sea-born from West Asia, from the shapeshifting Menana of the Ottawa Nation to the mermaid princess Suvarnamaccha, a daughter of Ravana who fell in love with Hanuman, the stories are all touched with magic.
Like a mermaid’s song, this beautifully illustrated picture book by acclaimed author and poet Sharanya Manivannan will enchant every young reader.
- GenresChildrens
40 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 18, 2021
Sharanya Manivannan’s Mermaids in The Moonlight starts from Mattakalappu in Ilankai. A note at the end of the book reads that we may know Mattakalappu as Batticaloa, and Ilankai as Sri Lanka. I am Tamil. And I know these places as how Nilavoli’s Amma calls them in her stories, and that’s how I want to remember these places too. From the meditative, enchanting Kallady Lagoon, as they try to listen to the song of a mermaid whom they name Ila, Amma tells Nilavoli about the mermaids, mer-creatures, and marine spirits of the world, and their stories which are deeply rooted in magic, faith, justice, love, longing, and loss. Just like the ocean, their stories come in waves, encouraging the child in me to hold on to wonder and curiosity, and comforting the adult in me with its poetry and the truth that I choose to see.
Mermaids in The Moonlight is just not imaginative, but it is politically correct, and that’s the change I have been hoping for children’s literature. The characters are from Asia, the illustrations are inclusive, there are stories about the women of Mattakalappu who lead their families, and there is a delightful surprise at the end, making the stories come full circle. There is also something beautiful about Hanuman, Ravanan’s daughter, and a love story about them that travelled from Thailand. The search to know more about mermaids can't end with the book; it starts from there.
When the book is set in Mattakalappu, how could Amma not talk about the land that saw war and pain? Children’s literature doesn’t just have to be about wise, talking animals. In Mermaids in the Moonlight, while relating the story of women in Rameshwaram in India, Amma tells Nilavoli about the people who reached the coastal town on tiny boats, escaping the war. The stories can hold safe space for adults, and children to understand that the world is kind and cruel at the same time, and to tell children that when life becomes overwhelming, curling up in the lap of stories could be restorative. Amma gives Nilavoli many things – truth, imagination, curiosity, and the cultures of many peoples. A child loved like that can make the healing less painful.
Mermaids in The Moonlight is just not imaginative, but it is politically correct, and that’s the change I have been hoping for children’s literature. The characters are from Asia, the illustrations are inclusive, there are stories about the women of Mattakalappu who lead their families, and there is a delightful surprise at the end, making the stories come full circle. There is also something beautiful about Hanuman, Ravanan’s daughter, and a love story about them that travelled from Thailand. The search to know more about mermaids can't end with the book; it starts from there.
When the book is set in Mattakalappu, how could Amma not talk about the land that saw war and pain? Children’s literature doesn’t just have to be about wise, talking animals. In Mermaids in the Moonlight, while relating the story of women in Rameshwaram in India, Amma tells Nilavoli about the people who reached the coastal town on tiny boats, escaping the war. The stories can hold safe space for adults, and children to understand that the world is kind and cruel at the same time, and to tell children that when life becomes overwhelming, curling up in the lap of stories could be restorative. Amma gives Nilavoli many things – truth, imagination, curiosity, and the cultures of many peoples. A child loved like that can make the healing less painful.
July 6, 2023
Mermaid tales from across the world, with a message to be kind, to not lose your sense of humour and and to just listen. We know Sharanya Manivannan as a writer who paints delightful emotions with her words. Now we know she is an equally accomplished artist. What's not to love in this beautifully illustrated book for young people.
March 12, 2022
What a gorgeous book. I have been thinking about mermaids and music and water stories all evening.
February 7, 2022
Lyrical and soothing- a story in the making, coming from inside one- a mother tells to her daughter, the stories of mer-creatures and mermaids from around the world. Embedded in popular myth, folklore, legends and ancient tales of Mer-Goddeses. Sharanya's narrative seamlessly weaves the moonlit night with the sea; human emotions flowing into creatures of the sea and birthing of a mermaid- Ila touched by episodes of civil war, tsunami, cultures and people of the land. It's a beautiful read🌸
March 31, 2021
Interesting mermaid stories and lore from countries all over the world. I was blown away by the illustrations that are created by the author herself. A good read to introduce children to the world of sea creatures- mythical or not.
February 16, 2022
This picture book with colorful illustrations by the author/illustrator brings out stories from around the world in pictures.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews