Jozef's had this picture book for years but I just bought it the other day and added it to my mermaid collection. I re-read it and once again enjoyed the fantastical tale of an enterprising and resourceful young mermaid named Minnie who tries to save her parents' ailing undersea bazaar after an unscrupulous competitor named Manta Rae opens her own marine emporium.The story is written by Aussie Natalie Jane Prior and illustrated by Cheryl Orsini. The artwork has a late 1920s to early 30s look about it in the hairstyles, costuming and underwater architecture. There are also some lovely little details in each of the illustrations if you allow yourself to explore them. Check out the new fashioned earrings on page 10, the cosmetics on page 8, and the "Beware of the Surface" teaching aid in the classroom scene on page 5.
Unfortunately, the book is not available through Amazon but you can get it through the ABC Shop website or you can check it out on the HarperCollins Australia website. If you'd like to see more of the delightful illustrations, check out Cheryl Orsini's blog here.
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