A Treasury of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from Around the World

by Shirley Climo, Jean & Mou-Sien Tseng (Illustrator)

Published in paperback as A Serenade of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from Around the World.

Lavishly designed and illustrated, this beautiful book is the definitive collection of mermaid lore. A catch of international mermaids, from a Japanese ningyo and a Swiss nix to an Irish merrow and an Alaskan nuquot swim through the pages of this elegant volume. Full color.

Genres: Mermaids, Fantasy, Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Short Stories

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 1997

About the author

Shirley Climo was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1928. She attended DePauw University until her mother died unexpectedly in 1949. She dropped out of college and took up her mother's work writing scripts for the weekly WGAR-Radio children's program Fairytale Theatre. During her lifetime, she wrote 24 books including The Korean Cinderella; Magic and Mischief: Tales from Cornwall; A Treasury of Princesses: Princess Tales from Around the World; A Treasury of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from Around the World; and Someone Saw a Spider: Spider Facts and Folktales. She died on August 25, 2012 at the age of 83.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shirley Climo, whose thematic folktale collections include A Treasury of Princesses: Princess Tales from Around the World and Monkey Business: Stories from Around the World , here turns her attention to the world of underwater creatures, from the Irish merrow to the Japanese ningyo. Presenting eight tales from diverse cultures, she explores the 'hidden magic' to be found in the waters of the world, and celebrates the elusive creatures who hold so much fascination for their land-bound cousins. Selections include:

Mrs. Fitzgerald the Merrow, an Irish tale in which a young Dingle man, coming upon a beautiful merrow (or mermaid) by the seashore, captures her red cap, thereby preventing her from escaping back into the sea. A long and happy marriage follows, but - as is so often the case in this tale type - the captive sea-bride eventually stumbles upon her cap (carefully hidden by her husband), and sets out once more for her native element.

The Legend of Aymee and the Mermaid, a native Alaskan story in which the eponymous Aymee, worried about her village's low food stores, as winter approaches, spreads her nets in a quiet inlet where her people rarely fish, and catches something most unexpected. This Inuit tale of nuyaqpalik was taken from Lela Kiana Oman's Eskimo Legends .

Odysseus and the Sirens, a classical Greek myth taken from an episode in Homer's The Odyssey , in which the hero Odysseus and his shipmates, on their homeward journey from the Trojan War, encounter some deadly sea sirens intent on luring them to their deaths. With their ears plugged by wax, in order to mute the sirens' songs, Odysseus' crew tie him to the mast of the ship, in order to prevent him from jumping overboard.

Hansi and the Nix, a Swiss folktale concerning a nix (sometimes known as a 'neck' in English) - a freshwater mermaid said to inhabit the lakes of Switzerland - and the cowherd whose yodeling enchants her. This story, which purports to explain how an entire town was relocated beneath the waters of Lake Zug, is atypical, in that it is the nix who is enchanted by the human's song, as opposed to the other way around.

And Then the Merman Laughed, an Icelandic tale in which a Norseman named Tor, newly settled in Iceland with his wife Gudrun, finds that none of his efforts - at farming or fishing - prosper, until he brings an injured merman home with him. The merman's laughter, when explained, offers Tor some insight into his dog, some weeds on his land, and his wife's character. This tale, taken from Jacqueline Simpson's Icelandic Folktales and Legends , is the origin of the Icelandic folk saying "and then the merman laughed," used in response to particularly foolish statements.

The Listening Ear, a Japanese story in which a young man named Jiro spares the life of Tamayori, the daughter of Rin Jin, the Dragon King of the ocean, and is rewarded with the magical "Listening Ear" as a consequence. This seemingly ordinary shell allows him to understand the speech of the birds, and he soon learns what has caused Osada - a local nobleman's daughter - to fall ill, and what can cure her, leading to an unexpectedly brilliant match for this younger son.

The Sea Princess and the Sea Witch, a tale from the Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, which follows the story of a sea princess whose wicked stepmother turns her into a seal. Cursed to remain a seal, save for one day of the year, the princess encounters a fisherman on the island of Staffa (while in human form), where they reunite once a year. Although it does not have the same happy ending, this story reminded me of other tales about jealous stepmothers, from Snow White to The Children Of Lir .

And finally, Pania of the Reef, a Maori tale from New Zealand, in which a beautiful mermaid falls in love with the warrior and chief's son, Kari-toki, and marries him in secret. Unfortunately, his desire to keep her on land, together with their young son, and to show his fellow villagers that he does indeed have a beautiful wife, leads to tragedy.


All in all, this was an engaging collection of tales, beautifully complemented by the illustrations of Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng. I do wish, just as I did with Climo's A Treasury of Princesses , that there were more illustrations, but the painting which were included were quite appealing. The tales themselves were fascinating, in their depiction of different types of sea being, and I appreciated the fact that source material was provided, at the rear. Recommended to young mermaid lovers (who might also want to check out May Pope Osborne's Mermaid Tales from Around the World ), as well as to folklore enthusiasts in general!

[Jessie Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved all of the stories in this collection. Each unique from any others I’ve read and interesting to follow to its conclusion. Def going to buy a copy for myself. 🧜🏽‍♀️

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite library book as a child, and nearly 30 years after its publication, it still holds up. The pictures are beautiful and memorable, the writing is accessible, and the wide inclusion of cultures is appreciated. Overall, this is a great way to get your feet wet in regards to worldwide oceanic folklore.

[Theresa F.]

If you're an adult reader, like me, seeking to temporarily escape the complexities of modern life and revisit the simplicity of childhood by reading a collection of feel-good fairy tales, this book is a strong reminder that not all older fairy tales and folktales have 'happily ever after' endings, particularly those involving mermaids. Many of the stories in this compilation have less than happy endings, which may upset the book's intended child audience. So, read at your own discretion.
Also, the book features numerous asides between the stories that broadly touch on the differences and similarities between depictions of mermaids in various world cultures. Though these asides are brief, I personally found them dully written and felt impatient to get back to the story. Considering that this is a children's book, and that children are often assumed to have shorter attention spans, this could be seen as a significant flaw in the writing.
Did I like it? I personally would have preferred one or two more 'happy endings'.
Would I reread it? No.
Would I recommend it? People interested in mermaid folklore might still find the book interesting, especially the asides.

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but sweet collection of eight mermaid folktales from around the world (Ireland, Alaska, Greece, Switzerland, Iceland, Japan, Scotland and New Zealand) - I was excited to see the Innuit tale Aymee and the mermaid, largely because you don't see many Alaskan folktales published. The only familiar one is Odysseus and the Sirens and while I'd have preferred a story I don't know so well the others were all new to me - this edition also has nice b/w illustrations by Lisa Falkenstern.

This is a lovely little volume and makes a wonderful companion piece to Ruth Manning Sanders A Book of Mermaids and The Penguin Book of Mermaids - I'd have given it more stars if not for it's brevity - you can read it in one sitting and I would dearly have loved more stories to be included.

[Niyyah Ruscher-Haqq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to have stories from around various parts of the globe: Japan, pacific islands, Scotland, Alaskan indigenous tribes... I liked the little comparative historical tidbits. Made me thirsty for more mermaid/man tales.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the stories, it was a pity that the illustrations did not reflect the tales.

[Haley Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved hearing all the different mermaid tales from different part of the world! 🧜🏼‍♀️

[Katelyn Bognatz]

Title: A Treasury of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from Around the World

Author: Shirley Climo

Illustrator: Jean & Mou-sien Tseng

Genre: Fable

Theme(s): Mermaids, Folklore, Tales, fable

Opening line/sentence: In medieval England mermaid was spelled mere-mayde. Mayde meant “maiden.” A mere could be a sea, a lake, or even just a swampy place. A mermaid is simply a water woman, good or bad. She drifts beneath the ocean waves, lies unseen in river rushes, and sleeps in shaded ponds. A streak of rainbow glinting in a puddle might mean a mermaid is there. Even so, catching one of these magical beings isn’t easy. A mermaid can disappear without a trace, evaporating like a drop of water on a summer day.

Brief Book Summary: This book is full of tales of mermaids from all over the world.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Mermaid tales show up in many cultures and Climo has compiled many that are familiar such as "Odysseus and the Sirens" and a few that may be new such as the Alaskan legend of "Aymee and the Mermaid" and the "Listening Ear from Japan." In Aymee's tale, the mermaid returns a good deed by sending fish up the stream to keep the people from staving. In the Japanese tale, Jiro is rewarded for setting a red snapper free who turns out to be a mermaid princess. Each story is preceded by an introduction and there is a set of concluding notes with source references. The tales are filled with fantasy and mystery which is echoed in the full-page, full-color illustrations and black-and-white sketches by award winning artists Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. It makes for a beautiful and fascinating book.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Mermaids haunt the waters of the world from the Lake of Zug in Switzerland to the reefs of Hawke Bay on the North Island of New Zealand. In a companion to A Treasury of Princesses (1996, not reviewed), Climo gathers eight representative tales of these beguiling aquatic creatures who know charms, cast spells, shift shapes, and wreak havoc, both undersea and above ground. Climo's compendium features an oceanic Snow White--like Scottish selkie story, a disagreeable Icelandic merman trickster tale, and a Japanese shape-shifting snapper who comprehends the language of the birds. The spectrum of mermaids appears here: powerful magicians filling the nets of fishermen, seductive voices luring sailors to their watery graves, or simply fish out of water, attempting misguided lives among humans. An eerily enchanting watercolor panel launches each mer-tale, followed by a pen-and-ink detail inserted in the story. Many of the stories adapted and collected here can be readily found in other sources, such as Mary Pope Osborne's Mermaid Tales from Around the World (1993). While the introduction to each tale demonstrates prodigious research, it becomes confusing in the inclusion of countries and of the various names of mermaids, until readers may feel awash in information. A section of story notes completes the collection.

Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews enjoy this book of stories because of the diverse types and how the stories range from good to bad mermaids.


Evaluation of Literary Elements: I really like how this book has many different stories from different parts of the world. I think it is important for students to understand that there are bad and good mermaids in these stories.

Consideration of Instructional Application: You could use in in the classroom to talk about sea life and introduce folklore or Native Americans.

[Meltha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this relatively thin book that is chock-full of mermaid stories. Despite the fact I like folklore a lot, I'd heard of only two of these before. Climo goes all over the world for seamaid-based fairy tales: New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, the Hebrides, Ireland, Iceland, and so on. I was fascinated with the parallels in some of the stories, and she even includes an annotated bibliography of her source materials. The only downside was the font for the book. When italics were used, the print was actually rather hard to read, and each story as well as the introduction used italics. The illustrations were good, but not amazing. If I could give this four and a half stars, I would. I'd say the general age range here would be about fourth grade perhaps to sixth grade since some vocabulary was quite advanced. For once, now visibly topless mermaids either (though implied in places), so using it as a class storybook wouldn't have that issue.

[Capella]

My 4 year old and I are really enjoying this one. All the stories are the same length with a beautiful painting at the beginning. They are such interesting stories--involving lots of why questions from Quilaztli. Now we're talking a lot about stores, farms & factories because I had to explain the dire consequences of a summer with no fish or game for an Alaskan Indian tribe. She was very concerned about the sirens trying to seduce Odyssius...now with each mermaid tale she wonders if the mermaids try to kill people & if it's only women, men, girls, children, etc.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a child's storybook, but is always entrancing to me especially because it tells of tales from the sea. It's a charming collection of different mermaid stories and I read it over and over.

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book, but numerous stories I hadn't heard before.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute kid's book :)