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Hello Kitty Presents the Storybook Collection
Hello Kitty Presents the Storybook Collection: The Little Mermaid
In this new addition to the storybook series, Hello Kitty stars as the Little Mermaid. This series marks the first time Hello Kitty has starred in a fairy tale series, making these padded deluxe editions a must-have for any Hello Kitty fan.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 1, 2019
This retelling is a waste of a perfectly good fairy tale. First of all, I really question the wisdom of retelling a story about a character who loses her voice using a character that doesn't even have a mouth! But that's not even the worst part of this book.
The first part follows a simplified version of Andersen's original story. Hello Kitty (as a mermaid) longs to know what life is like on land. During a storm, she rescues a prince from drowning. Then she pines over him and sings sad songs. Eventually, she goes to the Sea Witch for help and gets a potion that will turn her tail into legs... at the cost of her voice. She wants that prince, though, so she drinks the potion.
Everything was fine (albeit really simple) up until the end. The prince recognizes Hello Kitty as the mermaid who saved him, and kisses her cheek in thanks. She gets her voice back, and everyone lives happily ever after. Okay... but there's just one problem: one of the conditions of the potion was that the prince had to fall in love with her to break the spell. But all that happened was that the prince kissed her cheek "to show his gratitude". Does gratitude equal love now? That's kind of a confusing message to be sending young readers.
The illustrations are colourful and sickly sweet, but this is Sanrio, after all. It's to be expected. I did find it a little odd, though, that all the major characters have no mouths (and therefore limited facial expressions) while minor characters like fish, crabs, and starfish are all depicted grinning like idiots. It's difficult to connect to the main characters when their expressions are pretty much blank!
If you're a die-hard Sanrio fan, you might like this one. But if you're looking for a good retelling of "The Little Mermaid", you might want to look somewhere else. This isn't it.
The first part follows a simplified version of Andersen's original story. Hello Kitty (as a mermaid) longs to know what life is like on land. During a storm, she rescues a prince from drowning. Then she pines over him and sings sad songs. Eventually, she goes to the Sea Witch for help and gets a potion that will turn her tail into legs... at the cost of her voice. She wants that prince, though, so she drinks the potion.
Everything was fine (albeit really simple) up until the end. The prince recognizes Hello Kitty as the mermaid who saved him, and kisses her cheek in thanks. She gets her voice back, and everyone lives happily ever after. Okay... but there's just one problem: one of the conditions of the potion was that the prince had to fall in love with her to break the spell. But all that happened was that the prince kissed her cheek "to show his gratitude". Does gratitude equal love now? That's kind of a confusing message to be sending young readers.
The illustrations are colourful and sickly sweet, but this is Sanrio, after all. It's to be expected. I did find it a little odd, though, that all the major characters have no mouths (and therefore limited facial expressions) while minor characters like fish, crabs, and starfish are all depicted grinning like idiots. It's difficult to connect to the main characters when their expressions are pretty much blank!
If you're a die-hard Sanrio fan, you might like this one. But if you're looking for a good retelling of "The Little Mermaid", you might want to look somewhere else. This isn't it.
January 14, 2020
What can I say? I love Hello Kitty
November 22, 2016
A retelling of the classic fairytale that is very tame and sure to be a big appeal for PreK-2. The elements are all there, though anything even remotely scary has been removed (i.e. think most scenes involving Ursula from the Disney animated version).
Because the ending lacks the drama of the animated movie, the ending is a little anti-climactic, but ultimately this is an okay version for sharing with young listeners, especially for readers who are not ready for the unDisneyfied ending of Andersen's tale.
Because the ending lacks the drama of the animated movie, the ending is a little anti-climactic, but ultimately this is an okay version for sharing with young listeners, especially for readers who are not ready for the unDisneyfied ending of Andersen's tale.
June 10, 2017
This one actually fixed a lot of the weird stuff in The Little Mermaid!
December 12, 2016
Hello kitty make the little mermaid story even more simple than Disney does. There are no bad parts. Not even really a sea witch. It's just not the same.
February 5, 2017
Review to come
December 31, 2018
I cannot handle how cute these illustrations are!
The standard Little Mermaid story, without the hassle of the Sea Witch's competition for the Prince's affections.
The colors were particularly beautiful in this one, especially the gradients used on some of the fish and the gorgeous shell bottle for the potion.
I read this as part of the Hello Kitty Presents the Fairytale Collection omnibus.
The standard Little Mermaid story, without the hassle of the Sea Witch's competition for the Prince's affections.
The colors were particularly beautiful in this one, especially the gradients used on some of the fish and the gorgeous shell bottle for the potion.
I read this as part of the Hello Kitty Presents the Fairytale Collection omnibus.
June 14, 2019
3 stars for writing quality, but 30 stars for making Hello Kitty a dang MERMAID. This is all nine-year-old me could have ever wanted.
If you're reading this for any reason other than the fact that you or your smol ones like Hello Kitty, you're going to have an okay time at best.
If you're reading this for any reason other than the fact that you or your smol ones like Hello Kitty, you're going to have an okay time at best.
August 26, 2017
Basically Disney's The Little Mermaid, but with Hello Kitty (and less scary stuff :p ) It was cute, though the writing was bland
June 28, 2021
This was so watered down. There was no conflict. Nothing really happens but it fits the series/ theme. I enjoyed the extremely smooth sailing. Hello Kitty is a cute mermaid. 3.6/5.
March 7, 2020
Great picture book! Illustrations are vibrant with color and easy on the eyes because of their simplicity. As well, the story line is easy to follow so this would be a great book for reading to preschoolers. This is a simplified version of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of The Little Mermaid. As the Little Mermaid learns of the world of humans beyond the sea, she chooses to leave her world as a mermaid and take the chance for love with the human Prince. She has much to lose but in the end she gains the desires of her heart. This is a simple story for young children that are exploring the world and beginning to make choices for themselves. This book could be used in a small group and questions could be asked to see if the children understand the consequences of her bold decision to leave the sea. One question would be, What did she have to lose if he did not fall in love with her? Or, You could ask the children if they were in her position, what would they do?
December 22, 2016
The classic story of The Little Mermaid is cleverly retold using every little girl's favorite character, Hello Kitty.
Hello Kitty is a mermaid with a lovely singing voice who loves her undersea home, however she wishes she could visit the land she's heard so much about. Finally when Hello Kitty is old enough she surfaces and is immediately taken by a party on a passing ship. Unaware that a storm is brewing, Hello Kitty remains on the surface only to witness someone fall overboard. Knowing she has to do something, Hello Kitty comes to the rescue, will she ever see the person she rescued again?
I love this take on The Little Mermaid. It's perfectly narrated in a way that will capture the hearts of young readers. Obviously shortened from the original book, the important elements remain which fans of Hans Christian Anderson's, The Little Mermaid will enjoy. The illustrations are colorful and reader's will find them appealing. An all around fun read.
I highly recommend picking up a copy.
Hello Kitty is a mermaid with a lovely singing voice who loves her undersea home, however she wishes she could visit the land she's heard so much about. Finally when Hello Kitty is old enough she surfaces and is immediately taken by a party on a passing ship. Unaware that a storm is brewing, Hello Kitty remains on the surface only to witness someone fall overboard. Knowing she has to do something, Hello Kitty comes to the rescue, will she ever see the person she rescued again?
I love this take on The Little Mermaid. It's perfectly narrated in a way that will capture the hearts of young readers. Obviously shortened from the original book, the important elements remain which fans of Hans Christian Anderson's, The Little Mermaid will enjoy. The illustrations are colorful and reader's will find them appealing. An all around fun read.
I highly recommend picking up a copy.
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October 22, 2016A gentle introduction to the fairy tale, without any scary stuff and, of course, Hello Kitty charm.
April 17, 2017
A retelling of the Little mermaid starring hello kitty. In this version hello kitty longs for shore and trades her voice for legs in order to meet the prince. Liked the witch wasn't so scary here. Preschool and for length.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews