The Mermaid
By Jan Brett
The Story
A curious young mermaid slips into a house made of seashells and coral, samples the breakfast and the beds — but the Octopus family who lives there comes home with twenty-four arms and a lot of questions.
Why It's Special
For the kid who already knows Goldilocks by heart, this is the same delicious trouble in a whole new current — with a mermaid instead of a girl and an octopus family instead of bears.
- Big idea: Curiosity can lead you somewhere wonderful and somewhere you shouldn't be, both at once.
- Vibes: underwater, lush, gently mischievous
Perfect For Kids Who
- enjoy familiar fairy tales retold in surprising settings
- like to spot tiny details hidden in the borders of a page
- are working on understanding why exploring someone else's things has consequences
- love underwater creatures and imaginative sea worlds
Ask Your Little Reader
- Story & problem-solving: Why do you think Kiniro decided to go inside the Octopus family's house?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think Baby octopus felt when she found a mermaid asleep in her bed?
- Real-life connection: Have you ever gone somewhere you weren't supposed to be, just because you were curious?
- Imagination: If you found a house made of seashells and coral, what do you think you'd find inside?
- Story & problem-solving: What gift do you think Kiniro could give Baby to turn her shock into happiness?
