Lily the Pond Mermaid

LILY THE POND MERMAID is a sweet picture book about friendship and working together. Lily the mermaid takes care of her friends in the pond, but when a storm hits, Lily feels out of her depth. She worries after the friends she usually helps - but when the storm clears, they all work together to clear the rubble and set things to right. Lily learns that when they all come together, they can weather anything.

What I loved: This is a simple but very sweet story of friendship and working together. The pace is fast and will work well for young picture book readers. The images are lush, lovely, and full of detail - we loved the frogs in particular, but there are many fish and, of course, Lily herself that capture the emotions and personalities well. The writing flows well with an almost lyrical sound when read aloud that will capture young imaginations. The story is spelled out to readers well, which is great for preschool-aged readers.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, some of the pages can be a bit tough to read in low light settings like bedtime as the black font on dark colors can be hard to read.

Final verdict: LILY THE POND MERMAID is a charming and sweet picture book that captures friendship and the importance of coming together in times of difficulty for a young audience.