Tallulah: Mermaid Of The Great Lakes

Tallulah doesn't look like the other young mermaids living in the ocean. Her tail is a dull gray. And when all the other mermaids go on a quest to find the special gemstones that make their tails sparkle with color, Tallulah doesn't find her gemstone at all. When Turtle suggests that Tallulah searches the Great Lakes she is eager to give it a try, even though the other sea creatures believe mermaids don't belong in lakes. Tallulah explores the Great Lakes from north to south and east to west, until she finds a beautiful Petoskey stone and she realizes that she is finally exactly where she belongs. From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 1-A group of young mermaids is given instruction on searching for a personal gemstone to enhance their tail colors and deign magical powers that allow them to assist mariners and create "enchanting melodies." Platinum haired Tallulah (her name is Native American for "leaping water") lacks success until her companion Sea Turtle convinces her to move her quest from ocean to the Great Lakes. After exploring the many pleasures of these waters, they finally locate a Petoskey stone that transforms her tail and inspires her song as the Great Lakes Mermaid. Hartung's cartoon watercolors of young mermaids and undersea flora and fauna will enchant preschoolers. The expected array of blues and greens brighten with the inclusion of corals in orange, pink, and purple. VERDICT Ideal for fans of the Great Lakes region, the basic story could be appealing to a wider audience.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA About the Author Denise Brennan-Nelson's books with Sleeping Bear Press include the Likes to Say series, Someday Is Not a Day of the Week, and Buzzy the bumblebee. As a national speaker, she travels the country sharing her reading and writing enthusiasm with schoolchildren and teachers. Denise lives in Howell, Michigan.