Mabel: A Mermaid Fable
Mabel: A Mermaid Fable
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Mabel: A Mermaid Fable

Written and illustrated by Rowboat Watkins
Hardcover
$16.99
$15.97
3 - 5
Reading age
40
Page count
Mar 24, 2020
Publication date

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What Does Bookroo Think of This Book

While not remarkable, this quirky mermaid tale shares the important message of friends accepting and appreciating others for their differences.

Mabel the mermaid is the only one in her family that doesn’t have a mustache. She tries to hide her lack of facial hair with “jaunty shells” and “seaweed falsies,” but she just feels silly, and other fish call her a “nudibranch.” She doesn’t know what that means, but she knows it must be bad . . . so she hides away in holes on the ocean floor. One of the holes has another occupant named Lucky—a seven-legged octopus who also feels diminished by its differences—and the two become good friends. While playing around the coral, fish swim by and call them both “nudibranchs,” and Mabel finally learns what the word means from Lucky’s perceptive point of view: amazing sea slugs! Ending full circle on a cliche but appropriate note, Mabel realizes “everything she ever really needed was already right under her nose.” The muted, colorful watercolor illustrations are adorable in a unconventional way, boasting short and stout mermaids and bright, creative nudibranchs. Watkins intertwines clever touches—such as witty word play, the baby’s mustache, Mabel’s “sort of” juggling, the ignoring of the bullies, and wavy text appearing to ride the ocean current—with his unique and quirky illustrations to display a sweet message of the value of true friends, being oneself, and appreciating differences.

What Kind of Book is Mabel: A Mermaid Fable

Topics

being yourselffriendshipmaking friendsbeards and mustachesmermaidsself-esteem and self-relianceindividualityfamilyself-esteemsocial themesoctopusesself-acceptancemulticulturaldiversity

What Questions Should I Ask My Child

  • Mabel is different because she doesn't have a mustache, and Lucky is different for only having seven legs instead of eight. What makes you different and unique?
  • Lucky shows Mabel that you don't need to be like everyone else to be happy. When you see bullies like the puffer fish that call Mabel and Lucky "nudibranchs," what can you do to be inclusive, kind, and appreciative of others' differences?

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Book Details

ISBN
9781452155272
Publication Date
March 24, 2020
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Text Details
Typeset in Austral Slab Rough
Illustration Details
The illustrations in this book were made with pencil, watercolor, ink, vintage book paper, and an iMac.
Page Count
40
Audience
Picture
Reading Age
3 - 5 years
Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
2019027486
WorldCat Number (OCLC)
1145077272

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Core Score - 90%

So, SO close to perfection!

Depth Score - 28%

Just the barebones.

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