Sukey and the Mermaid

by Robert D. San Souci, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)

Sukey's new step-pa is a mean, bossy man. Every day Sukey wakes at dawn to work in the garden. All her step-pa ever does is watch her and yell if she so much as stops to fan herself. Sukey's ma calls him Mister Jones. Sukey prefers the name "Mister Hard-Times."

Son one day, Sukey runs away to her secret place by the ocean. There, she calls up Mama Jo, a beautiful black mermaid. Mama Jo's got a surprise for Sukey; a magical kingdom beneath the sea without time or pain. But it's also without people. Is it really better than the world above?

Genres: Picture Books, Mermaids, Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Folklore, Fairy Tales

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Robert Daniel San Souci (October 10, 1946 – December 19, 2014) was a multiple award-winning children's book author, who resided in San Francisco, California. He often worked with his brother, Daniel San Souci, a children's book illustrator. He was a consultant to Disney Studios and was instrumental in the production of the film Mulan, for which he wrote the story. He studied folklore in graduate school. He died after suffering a head injury while falling from a high height in San Francisco in December 2014. He was only 68 years old.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story by Robert D. San Souci has been developed from African lore, not a cut and paste black mermaid put by Disney on a Danish story, The Little Mermaid. The author concludes with a note about the long tradition of mermaids and sea goddesses in a variety of African countries. Stories from West Africa found their way to the Caribbean and the Sea Islands and Gullah-Geechee folklore in the Americas.

Sukey and the Mermaid doesn’t connect directly to Africa but is good for its rural feel, magic, and a moral about being a good person. It could be read by older elementary school children or to younger ones. The art work by Brian Pinkney is outstanding.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sukey and the Mermaid” is an American folktale retold by Robet D. San Souci, along with beautiful illustrations from Brian Pinkney. This book won the Coretta Scott King Award and was also the first book that I have read that originated in South Carolina. This book is surely to be an instant treat for the entire family and is surely to be a favorite among American folktales.

Robert D. San Souci’s storytelling is magnificent as he narrates the story about a good-natured girl who finds a true friend in the mermaid. The storytelling is interesting because I have never heard a story come from South Carolina and this is definitely the first folktale that I have read that came from South Carolina. Another reason is that this story seems like to be a combination of “The Little Mermaid” and “Cinderella” as Sukey plays as an honest yet miserable girl who works hard to the bone and has a cruel step parent, in this case her step-pa and she finds a friend in a mermaid who lives in the sea. Brian Pinkney’s illustrations are vibrant and rough edged and they give the book a calm feel when Sukey goes to the sea and a mysterious feel, such as having Mister Jones always having his hat tilted to cover his eyes. The image that stood out from the rest of the images in the book was of the mermaid herself who has green and flourishing hair and a beautiful face to match. Seeing the mermaid just makes anyone who reads this book shows comfort for her as she is shown to be a reassuring and friendly character in this book.



“Sukey and the Mermaid” is a unique book about how true friendship can bring happiness to anyone and how dreams do come true if you believe in yourself. This book is certainly a special one that both adults and children will cherish because of its creative plot and because of its ingenious moral. I would recommend this book to children ages six years and older due to the book being considerably long and that might put off many young children who are not used to reading large books yet.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite mermaid stories. Reading about the Disney version of The Little Mermaid (which is NOT Hans Christian Andersen's) coming soon.

[Ariel Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sukey and the Mermaid is a fairytale about mermaids. The plot revolves around Sukey, a girl from a poor family who must do a lot of work to help keep the family afloat. One day she decides to take a break and sing to herself by the ocean and a beautiful mermaid rises to the surface. They become close and spend more and more time together. Because Sukey is no longer doing work, the mermaid gives her a gold coin for each day they spend with each other. Sukey's stepfather hatches a plan to capture the mermaid which results in Sukey losing contact with the mermaid. Eventually the mermaid comes back to see Sukey and invites her to stay with her underwater, which she does. Later, she decides to come back to the surface and marry a young man. Her stepfather plots to steal her dowry and cause harm to her husband, but the mermaid helps her out again.

This is yet another book that I love. The story is as captivating as the illustrations. It doesn't follow the typical fairy tale storyline and is instead a bit more realistic. I like how it tackles certain problems with a sensitivity that children can understand (poverty, alcoholism) and offers a solution, even if it's not a neat and tidy solution. I feel that often in children's books the day is saved and everyone got what they wanted. At the end of this one, the dowry is lost and the stepfather is never caught and punished but what he did but at least all of the good characters are alive and have each other. I think that's a great message to send. I also appreciate that the other did his background work and really researched the various afro-diaspora fairy tales surrounding mermaids. It made for a truly wonderful story. I like this book for grades 2-5.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal picture book! First of all I knew that I was going to love the artwork. I have never seen an illustration by Pinkney that I didn't enjoy. This book is definitely a great alternative to the traditional white-washed mermaid stories that our children are often taught. I loved that it captured the Geechie/Gullah traditions of South Carolina while telling a re-imagining of an African-American folktale that the author found. There is an author's note in the back that gives readers more information regarding the folktale that provides the reader with the opportunity to do more investigation and research. The story was simplistic, but one that I really enjoyed. There is this appreciation for African-American culture that is evident through every page of the text and through the illustrations. I don't want to say anything about the plot, but it is intriguing and I loved the relationship between the mermaid and Sukey. This is definitely a picture book I'll be reading to my daughter when she gets a little older.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sukey and the Mermaid is a winner of a Coretta Scott Honor Award (1993). It was written by Robert San Souci and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. In this Caribbean fold tale we read the story of a little girl named Sukey who lives on an island with her mother and her mean step-father. Sukey spends her days working in the fields and following the commands of her step-father, while her mother remains silent. One afternoon she slips away while her step-father isn’t looking and goes down to the beach. While there she sang a song that she had heard (not knowing what it meant)…..when suddenly a beautiful mermaid (Momma Joe), surfaces from the water. They become friends and the mermaid gives Sukey a gold coin every time she comes to visit. Sukey gives the gold coins to her mother to buy food. Her step-father begins to get curious as to where the gold is coming from so he follows Sukey one day and sees the mermaid. They he and the mother try to capture the mermaid.

This drives the mermaid further into the sea and for a while Sukey does not see her. Even when she sings the special song, the mermaid does not appear. When Sukey becomes a young lady the mermaid appears and offers to take her to her home below the sea. Sukey agrees and for a while she is happy. Then she becomes bored and asks to return home. Eventually the mermaid agrees and sends Sukey home with a treasure. She tells Sukey to marry a man named Dembo. Sukey meets a man named Dembo and marries him. But the step-father becomes envious so he kills Dembo, takes the treasure and runs away. Sukey goes back to the beach, calls the mermaid then tells her what has happened. The mermaid gives Sukey a pearl and tells her to put it on the lips of Dembo and he would come back to life. Dembo was brought back to life, he and Sukey and her mother lived happily ever after.
This is a fantasy although it shows some comparison to real life. Back when this tale first began, this was their only form of entertainment. They sat around and told stories. Each time the stories were told, they got wilder and wilder. In some ways I am reminded of Cinderella…..she had a wicked stepmother. Sukey had a wicked step-father. Cinderella was saved from a miserable life by her fairy god mother. Sukey was saved from her miserable life by (Momma Joe) a mermaid. The illustrations are wonderful…….although all of them were dark toned…..even the skin coloring seemed rather dark to me. This should be pointed out to students, back then people were proud of the dark skin tones. Today a person with very dark skin might not be thought to be beautiful. This book is appropriate for grades 1-5 and is a great way to introduce lessons on ancestors, language and storytelling.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating folktale, and for girls who are enamored of Disney-like fairies, princesses and mermaids, this is a more striking example of what a mermaid tale can be.

The illustrations by Brian Pinkney are wonderful and complement the story nicely. We enjoyed reading this story aloud together.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find myself returning to this glorious folktale every few years. A phenomenal picture book featuring gorgeous illustrations by Brian Pinkney; wherein I saw my first Black mermaid as a child. One day Sukey decides to take a break from work, and sings to herself by the ocean. A beautiful mermaid rises to the surface. They become close. Folks get greedy. It's still incredible.

[Britain Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my TBR for ages and I finally got a copy of it. It’s an African American retelling of a Caribbean folktale about a godmother mermaid for early elementary aged children. Usually I don’t rate children’s books, but this was an interesting and well told story. And I loved the artwork.

[Sierra P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy Tale

This is an nontraditional fairy tale to teach American students, however it is so captivating and allures a mystic world of fantasy. This story tells a tale of a girl off the coast of South Carolina, perhaps the Gullah Islands? The young girl, Sukey encounters a mermaid and with her help, escapes her problems by exploring the deep bountiful ocean. The illustrations are mixes of impressionist sharp lines to create depth and detail (Short, Brown, Tomlinson, 2018). My only protest to this text is the unusual language and uneven fluency. That being said, this text would be a great to integrate when visiting regions of America in History or Social Studies.

[Charlotte Huang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a part of my 2nd grader's Reading Marathon Challenge. Out of 27 assigned books, this is the one he wanted to keep a little longer from the library. He read it aloud to me and I loved it too. It's a beautiful story with amazing artwork.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

2015: A beautiful South Carolina/African fairy tale that happens to contain a mermaid AND a happy ending!

2020: I loved the friendship between Sukey and the mermaid. I was pleasantly surprised the story spans so many years.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, the illustrations of Pinkney are detailed and Caldecott winning deservable.

Cultivated from a number of sources such as West Africa. Caribbean folklore, it is noted that the term "Water Mother" is another name for Mermaid. I've read many of books containing the beautiful, creative works of Pinkney, most of which contain African American history.

In this story, a young girl named Sukey is misused by her mother's husband called "Mister Jones." Mister Jones beats Sukey's mother and makes Sukey perform all inside and outside tasks. Hoeing the land, pulling weeds from the property property. Mr. Jones is not shy in threatening Sukey to work faster lest she is whipped with the stick.

One day Sukey grows weary, throwing down the hoe, she ran until she found the beach. Somewhere she heard of, and memorized the song

Thee, thee, down below,
Come to me, Mama Jo!!"

When a very beautiful dark-skinning mermaid appears from the Ocean, Sukey befriends her and is taken on a trip down, down, down to the ocean where she sees marvelous trinkets and gold coins from a long ago pirate ship. Sukey, receives a gold coin rom Mama Jo. Taking it home only leads to greed and threats from Mister Jones that she must go back and demand more. The step father and Sukey's mother take a boat out by the shore and call Mama Jo. When she appears, they try to capture her with a net. As a result, Mama Jo does not listen to Sukey's repeated calls.

One night in a dream, Mama Jo appears to Sukey promising to take her down to live with her beneath the sea. Missing Mama Jo, and weary of all the whippings and hard labor, she allows Mama Jo to hold on to her and to travel the deep places in the sea. Soon Sukey misses the sun, the feel of soil, and sounds of voices.

Granting her wish, Sukey is told by the mermaid that she will be sought by many, but only should answer the the love of Dembo. Afraid Dembo will get all the coins, Mr. Jones steals them, and in addition he kills him.

Mama Jo agrees to bring Dembo back from death. Hereater, Sukey finds happiness. Sukey never again sees the mermaid, except for the sight of green scales, and the sound of laughter far out to the sea,

[Darin Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story from South Carolina, this is about Sukey, her mother, and “bossy do-nothing man”, her step father. One afternoon, Sukey walks down to the ocean, sings a song, and much to her surprise, a mermaid appears before her. She’s beautiful and tries to get Sukey to swim with her, but Sukey refuses. The sun begins to set and Sukey knows she’s in trouble, so the mermaid gives her a piece of gold, but makes Sukey promise not to tell anyone of her existence. Sukey takes the coin back, and others as she continues to visit the mermaid until her mother catches sight it. Her mother and Mr. Jones, her step father, try to catch the mermaid, but end of driving it off in anger. Because there was no gold, Mr. Jones works Sukey to sickness, where in a feverous dream, she sees the mermaid calling to her. They meet at the ocean, and together, they visit the mermaid’s home, which is nice for a while, until Sukey misses her home. Sukey solves a riddle of the mermaid to return home, but time has past while they were away, and Sukey is now a grown woman. She’s courted by many men, but falls in love and is to wed to Dembo. However, Mr. Jones murdered Dembo in order to take the gold coins. Sukey begs the mermaid for help, to which the mermaid gives, but she says this is the last time we will see each other. The mermaid give Sukey a pearl to press to Dembo’s lips, and when Sukey does this, Dembo returns from the dead, accusing Mr. Jones of the murder. Mr. Jones tries to escape by paddles away, but a storm appears and swallows him and the gold up. In the end, Dembo and Sukey are wed, and at the end of the day, as they watch the sun set, they find the gold, and hear the laughter of the mermaid.

4 stars for a wonderful tale of the sea.

[Antonia Benetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Sukey who is a young girl living with her mom and step-father in a rural part of South Carolina. The book covers many moments of abuse from the step father is mean to Sukey so one day she escapes and goes to a beach and there she meets a mermaid. The mermaid shows kindness to Sukey and they quickly become friends with the mermaid starts giving Sukey coins to bring to her family so they wont be mean to her anymore. Throughout the story, Sukey encounters loss but also gains love. Her step-father is abusive towards Sukey and commits murder which may frighten young readers. Therefore I would recommend this book for 3rd graders and up. Something I really enjoyed about this book is its tension. There was a lot of tension in the story because of Sukeys step-father who creates most of the problems. However, every time something bad happened, something good would occur which helped the story remain positive. I would use this book in classroom to talk about how this book relates to folklore genre because it involves elements of the genre such as magic.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sukey's step-pa is so mean, she is delighted when she meets a new friend, a beautiful mermaid who rises out of the water when she calls, who loves her, teaches her, and shares gold coins with her. Eventually Sukey must choose between living in the human world or living below the sea with Mama Jo, the mermaid. This retelling of a folktale fragment from the South Carolina Sea Islands is beautifully reimagined by Robert San Souci and Brian Pinkney. While Robert San Souci is a white author, he does a good job of following the traditional elements of the African American folk stories from which he learned this story (an author's note at the back outlines his research methods). Brian Pinkney's illustrations are captivating.

Themes: Mermaid, Ocean, Decisions
Age range: Kindergarten - Elementary

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 8 and up. A lengthy fairy tale about a young Black girl living in poverty in the American South who is worked to the bone by her step-father. A kind mermaid helps her escape to an underwater fairyland where she will never have to work again. Sukey soon realizes she misses the human world despite its hardships, and she wins her right to return by presenting the mermaid with a riddle she can't solve. Returning with treasure, Sukey is courted by all eligible bachelors, but heeds the mermaid's advice by accepting the proposal of the kindest of them all. When her step-father kills her groom and steals her treasure, Sukey is helped one last time by the mermaid who revives her husband-to-be and uses the sea to rid the pair of the evil step-father once and for all. Beautiful illustrations and a story appropriate for fans of adventure and darker fairy tales.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Show Me Winner!

Cool Scratch/Pastel Artwork!

Story of a poor girl named Sukey who lives with her mama and lousy step pa, who discovers a wish-granting mermaid who helps/aids Sukey in life.

According to the appendix, its interesting to note, that there are almost NO African-American folktales that involve mermaids. I thought that was kind of a cool bit of trivia. Makes me want to read or try to read more into that.
Also includes Rhymes and Songs;

Good for a 3rd or 4th Grade reading level due to some mature themes concerning the villainous step pa.

This would make a great reader's theatre or puppet show

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sukey, abused and neglected, runs away to the beach each morning, only to discover magic and beauty away from the ugliness of her Stepfather.
The events of the picture book force Sukey to choose between family and the Mermaid.
Sukey also has to choose between the man she loves on a land with pain and suffering, or a mermaid she loves who will keep her in a world without pain and suffering.
Each page keeps the kids on the edge of their cushions, waiting to find out Sukey's choice.
Reading this book to children is always a pleasure.

[Liz Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert San Souci based this story on a folk tale from the Sea Islands, and added to it with other sources. Sukey makes friends with a mermaid and is tempted to leave her life with a demanding stepfather, and her mother. The structure and characters are familiar to readers of folk tales, but the the South Carolina Sea Islands setting, and African American protagonists are harder to find in children's literature. I love the work of both San Souci and Brian Pinkney. A beautiful addition to every classroom library.

[Nancy Wann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend it for ages 5-8. The story is about a girl named Sukey who befriends a mermaid called Mama Jo. Sukey’s parents are very strict and tend to put Sukey doing lots of work. Due to this Mama Jo helps Sukey by giving her a gold coin so her parents are not angry at her. This story is a beautiful story of Sukey’s and Mama Jo’s relationship, and just how much Sukey trusts the mermaid. You could use this book to teach cause and effect or teach children to learn to predict things in a story based off of things happening in the story.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/25/21 - This book is beautiful and the myth told is fantastic, but it is super dark. Included is physical abuse, murder, and stealing. I understand that most myths are like this from all over the world, however, I'm not sure it is super appropriate for a picture book. I don't think I would want my grandchild to read this book. At least not until they could very clearly discuss it and the feelings it brings up with them. Again, beautiful book wonderfully illustrated but super dark in tone.

[{erika} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, I didn't think I would ever come across the title of this book again. As a kid, I systematically went through, checked out, and read every book they had on mermaid's. This one always stuck with me and I even remembered the chant she would use to summon her. I would definitely like to reread it as an adult at some point!

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert San Souci has the most brilliant books that bring folklore from different cultures to young children, and with Jerry Pinkney's illustrations, you can't miss. A little girl with an unhappy living situation finds friendship with a mermaid despite warnings from the locals. Friendship, belief in oneself and knowing what your heart needs all create a marvelous story.

[Ellice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl encounters a mermaid, has to make some hard choices, goes through a series of adventures, and ends up OK in the end. It's really refreshing to see a story about a Black mermaid that's based on African American, Caribbean, and African folktales. Though the author amalgamated the different sources a bit, the end result feels authentic. The scratchboard illustrations are pretty amazing.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like how this book read nor was the art all that impressive. I usually love to look at and read any of the mermaid books so I was rather bummed that I just did not enjoy this all that much.

[Alana Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sukey and the Mermaid” is a unique book about how true friendship can bring happiness to anyone and how dreams do come true if you believe in yourself.

This book is certainly a special one that both adults and children will cherish because of its creative plot and because of its ingenious moral.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love almost anything mermaid so I was charmed by this story of a poor,mistreated girl who is befriended by one who gives her much help along the way,and truly grows to love her.Loved the ending and the way Mama Jo acted as her fairy godmother.Sweet story.

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

South Carolina folk tale about a girl who befriends a mermaid. Similar to the older versions of Cinderella with a girl who has to overcome some difficult circumstances with the help of a magical being.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely American folktale featuring beautiful illustrations and regional dialogue. My daughter and I both found this tale enjoyable.