Lily the Pond Mermaid

by Lucy Fleming

Friendship, worries, and newfound courage all play a part in this underwater tale of a tiny mermaid heroine.

“I’ll always be here;
there’s no need to fear.
All will be well when
a pond mermaid’s near.”

Lily the pond mermaid loves taking care of her pond and all the creatures that call it home. But it’s also a big responsibility. Lily often worries about not being able to keep the pond — and everyone in it — safe. As her worries grow, a big storm hits the pond, and everything becomes covered in a tangle of debris. Luckily, Lily is able to share her feelings with her friends and ask for help. Together, Lily and the animals that live in the pond not only restore their home but also learn how to take care of one another.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Mermaids, Friendship, Storytime, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2023

About the author

Lucy Fleming has been an avid doodler and bookworm since early childhood. She has an honors degree in illustration and has illustrated a number of books, including River Rose and the Magical Christmas, written by singer Kelly Clarkson. She lives and works in England.

Reviews

[Ilona · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lily, the Pond Mermaid" is a beautiful tale of finding the courage and strength to keep going on, and accepting the help of others when needed! It's a heartwarming story with illustrations that are, as always with Lucy Fleming, a delight for both the eyes and the heart. 🧡

[Élise Massé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je suis complètement en amour avec les contes de Lucy Fleming. Les illustrations sont magnifiques, l'histoire est tellement touchante, et la morale est vraiment chouette. On explore le thème du courage de parler de ses émotions et d'aller chercher de l'aide quand on en a besoin. On a beau s'en mettre beaucoup sur les épaules, parfois ça fait du bien de partager le poids du fardeau avec ses ami.e.s. ❤️

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and inspiring!

[☽ Jess ☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un album très mignon, doux et attendrissant sur une sirène altruiste et courageuse. C'était beau !

[readwithjesss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweetest! Lily the pond mermaid tries her best to protect the pond from debris and keep her aquatic friends safe. A storm rages in, which worries her. Lily learns if she talks to her friends about her fears, they can ease her worries, lift her burdens, and help restore the pond all together. Beautiful artwork as well.

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this picture book, Lily learns that she doesn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of her pond and its wildlife all on her own. This book was a delight from start to finish. Fleming crafts a whimsical tale of a mermaid and her fishy friends (including a tadpole, Bobble, who careful readers can see evolve from tadpole to frog throughout the book) and the diverse pond habitat in which they live. All of the creatures in this book are given anthropomorphic qualities, like smiles and expressive eyes, which adds to the charm of the story. The illustrations are very sweet and engaging, and they are sure to spur imagination and inspire a lot of discussion amongst readers. Lily is depicted with brown-toned skin, and she also appears to have vitiligo. 

I enjoyed the overall message of the book regarding anxiety and asking for help. I felt that Fleming handled a complex concept very well for younger readers, and that adapting the message of the story (“All will be well when a pond mermaid’s near”) to “We’ll always be here; there’s no need to fear. If we all work together, there’s no storm we can’t weather!” is a great way to illustrate the concept of asking for help. Lily’s bravery isn’t diminished by her anxiety, but is instead supported by her friends as they help her clean up their pond after a storm. The message of helping others, friendship, and asking for help is very strong throughout the book, and will be easy for young readers to understand. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Olivia]

See my full review here: https://yabookscentral.com/lily-the-p...

LILY THE POND MERMAID is a sweet picture book about friendship and working together. Lily the mermaid takes care of her friends in the pond, but when a storm hits, Lily feels out of her depth. She worries after the friends she usually helps - but when the storm clears, they all work together to clear the rubble and set things to right. Lily learns that when they all come together, they can weather anything.

What I loved: This is a simple but very sweet story of friendship and working together. The pace is fast and will work well for young picture book readers. The images are lush, lovely, and full of detail - we loved the frogs in particular, but there are many fish and, of course, Lily herself that capture the emotions and personalities well. The writing flows well with an almost lyrical sound when read aloud that will capture young imaginations. The story is spelled out to readers well, which is great for preschool-aged readers.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, some of the pages can be a bit tough to read in low light settings like bedtime as the black font on dark colors can be hard to read.

Final verdict: LILY THE POND MERMAID is a charming and sweet picture book that captures friendship and the importance of coming together in times of difficulty for a young audience.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet, charming, lovely read for young children; and it is beautifully illustrated. Stories about mermaids fall into the category of myths and legends and are slightly akin to fairy tales. In short, they are totally make-believe.

Lily the Pond Mermaid takes the "fish" out of the sea but keeps her in the water. Though landlocked in a little pond, "Lily" has a personality that is loving, kind, gentle, and giving. She loves to watch out for all the critters in the pond. She cares for them. She worries about them. She solves problems for them. And one dark day there is a major storm when the rain falls and the wind blows. Lily and the critters take shelter in the little niches under the pond to stay safe from the storm.

Afterward, Lily sees the havoc the storm brought and is over-wrought. This is when her critter friends step in and help Lily.

A lovely book and a really sweet story about caring for others and bringing joy into the lives of others. I am concerned about the level of despair and worry Lily experiences and how this will impact the young minds and hearts for which this story is written. Is it too much? Is it right to talk outright about worry to children who know nothing about it or are experiencing it? Well, that's an issue each parent must address within their own homes. Again, I repeat, this is a sweet and lovely book.

I received a complimentary copy from Candlewick Press to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

[A Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find the images in this book charming and I love that readers can watch Bobble, the tadpole, grow into a frog as the book progresses! I like that Lily wants to keep everyone safe and that she cleans up "sharp, rusty, strange things" that do not belong in the pond. She promises Bobble, "I'll always be here; there's no need to fear. All will be well when a pond mermaid's near." However, this promise seems to weight heavily on her as it keeps her up at night. When a storm hits, it is Lily's "biggest worry coming true" which I found odd considering humans are a bigger threat to ponds than storms. After the storm, Lily is overwhelmed "restoring" the pond by cleaning up twigs. Personally, I think it would have made more sense if the storm caused a lot of things that do not belong in the pond to end up there. However, she gains the "courage to talk about her worries and ask her friends to help." Everyone helps her and the job is done quickly. I love the message that it is courageous to talk about your troubles and ask for help. I don't like that Lily says there is "no need to fear" and "all will be well" since things will not always be well and it is okay to be afraid; the important thing is supporting one another through those tough times, which Fleming indicates by changing the phrase toward the end, but I think it could've been more direct for young readers.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve all read about mermaids in the sea, but what about a pond mermaid? Fleming tells the story of a mermaid, Lily, who lives in a pond with her friends, helping out every day. But when a storm comes through, she realizes she can’t take care of all of her friends and the pond by herself, and she has to learn to ask for help.

An unusual take on a mermaid tale, this book is digitally illustrated with muted colors, capturing the environment of the pond. It’s lovely to see a pond mermaid rather than one who inhabits the sea, and it provides a fun, new take on a mermaid book for those kids who love to read about mythical creatures. Also, showing Lily’s determination (and anxiety) when trying to take care of everyone around her is an important lesson for many - she has to give up on taking all the responsibility and learn to ask those around her to help. I think this book would be a hit at storytime and children will definitely respond to the artwork.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for this ARC.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids ages 3-grade 2ish who love mermaid and/or life in and on a pond or lake are sure to be fans of this sweet story of Lily, the mermaid who keeps the pond clean, patches up holes in animals’ homes and pretty much keeps everything just as it’s supposed to be in the whole ecosystem. But when a storms causes more debris and damage than she feels prepared to handle, Lily realizes that things will be much less worrisome if she shares how overwhelmed she is feeling and all critters of the pond pitch in and work together to keep things flowing smoothly. (Accidental pun, but it works.)

Digital illustrations are lovely and the text moves in almost a lyrical way although it doesn’t feel quite like poetry. Along with the messages of sharing your worries and working together, there is a bit that mentions the litter Lily must keep picked up in order for her water-dwelling friends to be safe which would lend itself to some teacher-led conversation about what we mere humans can do to help out the pond mermaids.

Thanks for the finished copy, Candlewick Press/Penguin Random House.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

A sweet story about a pond mermaid and her overwhelming worries. Lily does everything she can to help her friends who live in and around the pond. But she worries that the responsibility is just too much for her to handle alone. After a major storm, Lily finds the courage to talk to her friends about her worries and ask them for help.

Nice themes of open communication, teamwork, and cooperation. I love the encouragement to tell someone when something is wrong and voice your concerns. I also love the emphasis on not having to do everything on your own.

The artwork is simply magical. I especially love that the reader can follow Bobble's growth through the pages from a tadpole to an adult frog. Gorgeous nature spreads and lovely displays of pond life.

A magical little book that empowers readers to talk about their worries and ask for help when they need it.

[Dbgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily lives in a pond, she’s a mermaid and likes to help everyone who lives in the pond or near it. One day comes a storm and she feels very sad because everything is messy now.

At first, when Lily picks up all kinds of stuff that people have thrown into the pond, I thought this is an environmental story. But then it turned out it’s a lovely story about knowing your limits and about having the bravery to ask for help from others. That theme is very good and I also loved the art, which was very pretty.

[Lisa Van Gemert | Gifted Guru · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! This picture book is absolutely adorable! It tells the story of a pond mermaid named Lily who cares for the pond and worries about it. A lot! In the story, she learns that she's not alone, and when disaster strikes the pond, she realizes that her worries needn't overwhelm her.

I love the illustrations by author/illustrator Lucy Fleming. They are so precious.

The book's design is as lovely as the message. I liked it so much I gave it to my granddaughter.


Note: I was given a review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something magical about mermaid books, and Lily the Pond Mermaid offers something unique to the genre. Diminutive Lily is troubled by the thought she may one day not be able to act as caretaker for her pond. When her worst fear is realized, all pond inhabitants work to restore the habitat, freeing Lily of the weight of worry. No longer did the pocket-sized pond dweller fear solo stewardship - the whole community shouldered the responsibility of protecting the ecosystem. Fantasy? Yes. But also true for every one of us.

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book about a pond mermaid before, so I loved this new take! I love that she’s a steward for the ecological health of the pond and its inhabitants. It promotes great messages about taking care of our world without it being too heavy-handed. I also like that it explores the other side of the coin of taking on too much and learning to rely on others for help. Well done! The colors, especially the pops of gold paint, were mesmerizing, too!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mermaids don't swim around in big, beautiful oceans but also ponds where her friends the snails, fish, and frogs are. She keeps watch and even when there's a storm that rolls through their area moves debris all around, their pond community come together to take care of it.

The color is the most evocative element of the picture book.

[Hannah Schwager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an official review from CLEAR, a group of librarians with SWON.

A super sweet story about doing your best and putting effort into others and how that effort often comes back around when we need it ourselves. The pictures are lovely. Publishers recommend this book for ages 3-7 and I think that is a good range for this title.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
I read a digital copy courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss.
Every pond needs a mermaid to keep things clean and working. Lily is a pond mermaid who takes care of her friends in the pond. When a storm comes, Lily worries that she won't be able to keep the pond safe.

[Jared White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations: 4 stars. Story/text: 2 stars. It was just too didactic and heavy-handed. The illustrations, on the other hand, are very fun. I love that our little mermaid has vitiligo, and it's done beautifully.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily worries about keeping her pond and the animals that live there safe.

This story addresses worrying, friendship, and the burden of caretaking. It also introduces young readers to fresh water pond fauna.

The illustrations were done digitally.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Super süß illustriert, aber die Story war nicht ganz so stark wie die davor

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations again by Lucy, they really create a feeling of whimsy. The story approaches a few bigger issues but in a very gentle way for children.

[Techsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dessin magnifique, belle histoire pour comprendre que prendre toutes les responsabilités sur ses épaules apporte de la lourdeur et qu'accepter de l'aide peut s'avérer utile !

[Rachel Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointed because I love the illustrations and the concept but too much of a lesson about anxiety than a story.

[Degan Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute story and beautiful illustration. I didnt really make
the connection between courage and fixing up the pond but still a good message

[Taylor Kundel-Gower · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Y.Poston]

cute

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preschool and school-age
Worry and anxiety