Lilly and Fin: A Mermaid's Tale

First up is Lilly and Fin: A Mermaid's Tale by Cornelia Funke, bestselling author of Inkheart.

 The Basics: 

Published: May 16, 2017

Length: 96 pages

Reading Level: Age 7-10 (grades 2-5)

Synopsis:

"Lilly and Fin are merpups—mermaid kids—who love to play and explore the caves outside the mermaid city. They aren’t really supposed to leave the city, but that’s what makes it so much fun! Surely all those stories about Two-Legs (you know, humans) and sea monsters are just made up to scare young merpups.

Little do they know, a real live human couple is on the hunt for a mermaid to add to their collection of rare sea creatures. If Two-Legs exist, what about sea monsters?

With fun full-color illustrations by the author herself, this adventure is sure to capture all two-legged chapter-book readers!" 

Our Ratings (out of 5 stars) :

Guinevere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lindsay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Guinevere's Thoughts: 

"I loved how brave Lilly was when she helped her friend! It was so good!"

My Thoughts: 

At 96 pages, this was a fairly quick read since we typically read 2-3 chapters at bedtime and sometimes a few in the afternoon, as well. A story about mermaids is an obvious winner for me (I love mermaids!). There were plenty of excellent illustrations throughout the book to keep a 4 year old interested and engaged in the story. I did not find the storyline to be too intense for Guinevere, though it is technically beyond her age level. The "merpup" friends are curious, adventurous,brave, and loyal to each other. They get into mischief by ignoring their instincts but it isn't malicious at all. Lilly and Fin learn that the world is bigger than they ever realized and that there are many dangerous things in that big world, but they also learn that sometimes help and friendship can be found in unexpected places.

Read it or Leave it?:

Read it! If you or your child have an interest in mythical creatures or are looking for lighthearted adventure, give Lilly and Fin: A Mermaid's Tale a try! We were fortunate to find it at our local library, but it is also very reasonably priced on Amazon! 

Have you read this book with your child? Let me know how you liked it in the comments!