The Miniature Mermaid of Zennor

by Emily Harper

Have you ever looked out across the ocean and wondered what secrets lie beneath the waves?

Are you brave enough to find out?

Isla is a girl with a huge imagination, who loves listening to her grandad's amazing stories of his childhood in wild and rugged Cornwall. But when Isla's dad goes missing on a diving trip in Mexico, Isla's world is turned upside down. How did he vanish? Will her family ever see him again?

Grieving his loss, and needing a change of scenery from busy London, Isla, her mum and her grandad decide to move back to Cornwall, to the family farmhouse in the tiny village of Zennor. Isla misses her dad, and is not used to country life, but when she discovers a magical secret locked away in an old book, Isla’s life takes another unexpected turn, as she discovers that the sea holds more adventures than she could ever have imagined.

Based on the old Cornish folktale The Mermaid of Zennor, this delightful tale takes you on an incredible journey of curiosity, friendship, mystery and magic. Are you ready to dive in?

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2024

Reviews

[Linn van den Heuvel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely read! I know, this is a children's book, but from time to time I like to read something like this. Besides that, all things about sirens and mermaids always get my attention, so obviously with a stunning cover like this, I wanted to read this book.

This was a nice story based on a Cornish folktale called the Mermaid of Zennor. It was quite a short story too though, with a very abrupt ending. It would have been nice to have a more detailed ending. It felt too rushed the way it was written now. I would have loved to read more about the mermaid of Zennor.

So the book is about Isla, a girl with a great imagination, just like her granddad. He's the one telling her all those amazing stories of his own childhood in Cornwall. But when Isla's dad goes missing, there's not much to be happy about anymore. Not even stories. And then, after a while, when Isla's mum tells her about the decision to move to Cornwal, Isla doesn't take it all too well. After a talk with her granddad and thinking things through however, she comes back around and soon the three of them (Isla, granddad and mum) are going to Cornwall. Things are still hard as they all are mourning the loss of Isla's dead. They don't even know if he's still alive or where he is if he's still alive.

So the family is returning to the family farmhouse in a tiny village called Zennor. Isla isn't used to a country life at all and decides to venture outdoors to get to know the place she lives in now. She then discovers a magical secret locked away in an old book. This makes that Isla's life takes an unexpected turn as she discovers that the sea holds way more adventures than anyone could have ever thought.

Isla dives headfirst in these adventures and sometimes even with great risk. How can she tell her mum and granddad about this magical place she has found? And what happens next after she does?

I liked that this story was based on something that has been a mystery for a long time. The seat in the church that is talked about in the story, actually exists and the mystery has yet to be solved.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short read is a delightful fantasy adventure story set in Cornwall. It's easy to read in one sitting, with vivid descriptions to stimulate the imagination of any reader. I thought Cornwall was a wonderful choice of setting for this magical little story. Children who enjoy stories about mermaids may like this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[zhreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

final rating: 3.5

thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

i would describe this book as a cosy fantasy. it was a quick + easy read, and i think it is definitely more suitable for a younger reader. it tells the story of a young girl and her family who move to cornwall after her father goes missing on a diving trip, in order to try and start a new life — while there, she ends up discovering magic + a new world. this book is inspired by the cornish folktale "the mermaid of zennor".

i really enjoyed the vivid descriptions in this book, and the relationship between the mc and her grandfather. the descriptions make me want to visit cornwall so bad; it's always been on my list. i think this book had a nice pace, and a mixture of cosiness + adventure. people who enjoy low-stakes adventure would probably like this.

[Paper Privateer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isla loves listening to her grandfather's stories about Cornwall, but moving there when her dad goes missing on a diving trip isn't the same thing as hearing stories. When the stories become real, however, Isla's life becomes more magical than she could have imagined.

Unfortunately, I had a difficult time with this book because of the poor writing and editing. I wonder if it had a professional editor look at it at all. The sentences were almost all structured the same, and some were structured poorly (how many "which" clauses can you put into a single sentence?). The story was also almost too simple, with the introduction too long and the ending feeling abrupt and undeveloped. The characters all felt one-dimensional and not particularly interesting.

It's a cute story based on a Cornish folktale, but unfortunately, it lacked enough depth to be an enjoyable read for me.

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book instantly caught my eye as I loved the look of the cover. Then, I found out it was based on an english myth from Cornwall and just had to read it!

I ended up binging this in one sitting and loved how sweet and innocent it was. I love mythology and mythical creatures, especially when they're based locally to me.
This story is suitable for both adults and children and I can definitely see this being a hit with all kinds of readers!

Id love to read more mythology based tales from english/Irish folklore 🥰🥰

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Miniature Mermaid of Zennor" by Emily Harper is a captivating tale that took my 8-year-old daughter and me on an enchanting journey to the coastal village of Cornwall. As we followed Isla's adventures, we were drawn into a world filled with mystery, magic, and the wonders of the ocean. Isla's courage and determination resonated with us, especially as she uncovered a magical secret hidden within an old book. Based on the Cornish folktale "The Mermaid of Zennor," this heartwarming story sparked our imaginations and left us longing for more adventures beneath the waves. "The Miniature Mermaid of Zennor" is a delightful read that we'll treasure for years to come.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A children's book, but very enjoyable. A cute, short read with plenty of magic to be found.

[April Delish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a pre read for my almost 8 yr old. It was a sweet story, but the spelling error and disconnect during some points knocked it down a bit for me.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is beautiful. The setting description at the beginning of the book is beautifully done. But it could have been structured better. For a book this short, the build-up is a bit too long.