Mermaid Dreams by Janet Lucy

Mermaid Dreams

Sueños de Sirena

Janet Lucy, Author

Colleen McCarthy-Evans, Illustrator

Seven Seas Press, Fiction, 2019 (bilingual version 2020)

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Mermaid, Dreams, Caribbean Tale, Overcoming fear, Courage

Opening: Maya dreams of being a mermaid. / Her long dark hair hangs / in silky strand / down her back / nearly reaching the top / of her favorite skirt – / the one her mama made / with seven tiers of turquoise net. 

Synopsis:

Maya is a dark-skinned girl who dreams of being a mermaid. She dances to Caribbean mermaid music as her favorite skirt rises and falls about her. She loves swimming and diving for coins in the pool. But she is afraid of swimming in the ocean and has frequent nightmares.

She listens to her mother’s bedtime stories about living on an island in the Caribbean sea where the beaches are sandy and the water is turquoise. One night, her mother tells her about her namesake, Yemaya, a river spirit and mermaid of the Yoruba people and a Goddess of the Ocean. That night she meets Yemaya in her dreams and they go on a magical undersea journey together. Mermaid Dreams shines a light on the universal fears of children and the vastness of the ocean.

There is now a bilingual version of Mermaid Dreams/Sueños de Sirena, 2020.

Why I like this book:

Janet Lucy has penned an enchanting and magical tale about a girl who wants to be a black mermaid, like her namesake, Yemaya, from a Caribbean legend. Yemaya is courageous, kind and full of wisdom. Lucy’s lyrical and richly textured prose invokes both the turbulence and beauty of the ocean. Colleen McCarthy-Evans illustrations are dreamy and have a mystical quality to them.

The story empowers children to face their fears, no matter what they may be. For Maya, it is an overwhelming fear of the ocean — even wading in shallow water. She lives along the California coast, where the waves are big and crash loudly onto the beach. One of the lessons Maya learns is that she has the power to change the ending of her scary dreams and take baby steps to dealing with her fear.

The author was inspired to create Maya after a real little girl who is a beautiful blend of her Caribbean and American parents. Her heritage reaches back to Africa, Europe and the Americas, “representing multiple threads of the extraordinary tapestry of humanity.” I love that quote. Visit Lucy at her website.

Resources: There is a Discussion Guide with 15 questions to help parents and teachers to continue a discussion with children about Mermaid Dreams.  There is also a list of fun activities for children ranging from drawing pictures of a mermaids and their dreams to listening to Caribbean or Yoruba music on the Internet. And there is a list of resources and a note from the author.

Janet Lucy is an award-winning writer and poet, and author of Moon Mother, Moon Daughter – Myths and Rituals that Celebrate a Girl’s Coming of Age and The Three Sunflowers/Los Tres Girasoles. Janet is the Director of Women’s Creative Network in Santa Barbara, California, where she is a teacher, therapist/consultant, facilitates women’s writing groups and leads international retreats. She has lived in Mexico, Costa Rica and Italy, connecting with the Divine Feminine in all her glorious guises and cultural richness. Janet is the mother of two radiant daughters.

*Review copy provided by the author.