Find a book
Donate
book cover

Mermaid

by Cerrie Burnell

Interest age: 3 to 6
Reading age: 6+

Published by Scholastic, 2015

  • Disability
  • Mobility/wheelchair

About this book

Luka loves living by the sea, but neither he nor his brothers have ever learned to swim. On the beach one day, he sees a girl in the sea, gliding through the water as effortlessly a fish, and he longs to join her. Luka watches as she emerges from the sea to meet her dad and then transfer herself into a wheelchair. He quickly introduces himself and the very next day Sylvia helps him start learning to swim.

That night, Luka dreams of magical underwater adventures with his new friend and sees that she has a mermaid's tail. The next morning, still thinking about swimming with Sylvia, he heads wistfully off to school, only to find that there's a surprise waiting for him.

This is the second picture book from television presenter Cerrie Burnell and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson. Although it features a character who uses a wheelchair, it's in no way an 'issue' book. First and foremost, it is a story about making a new friend. It's also about determination - as Luca is desperate to follow his dream of being able to swim, despite none of his family sharing his interest.

Alongside this sits a gentle message about the disability, but it's a message which avoids many of the potential pitfalls. Yes, Sylvia is inspirational, but only in the sense that she inspires Luka to learn to swim. Is she treated differently because she is disabled? No, Luka hardly notices Sylvia's wheelchair - what is so interesting and captivating about her is her affinity with the water. And the book does not suggest that she has a magical power as 'compensation' for being disabled, but does challenge preconceptions - such as the assumption that someone who is disabled could never swim.

The result is a simple but enchanting and inclusive picture book.

About the author

Cerrie Burnell is an actress and writer best known for her work on CBeebies, a role that has earned her critical recognition and a devoted fan base. Alongside this, she works very closely with a number of charitable organisations linked to childhood and diversity, as Cerrie is passionate about these subjects.

In 2011, Cerrie was named in the Observer’s top ten children’s presenters and in the Guardian’s list of 100 most inspirational women. Cerrie is author in residence for Great Ormond Street hospital and a patron of Polka children’s theatre.

She trained at Manchester Metropolitan and her credits prior to CBeebies include Eastenders, The Bill, Holby City, and Comedy Lab for Channel Four and various plays, including Winged, an original play she wrote and starred in at the Tristan Bates theatre.

Cerrie’s one-woman show The Magical Playroom opened in Edinburgh in 2013 and she has published seven books for children with Scholastic. Harper and the Sea of Secrets was a World Book Day title in 2016. Cerrie recently adapted her picture book Snowflakes for the stage, which was performed at the Oxford Playhouse in December 2016. Harper and the Night Fox was published by Scholastic in 2017, and her novel, The Girl With the Shark’s Teeth, was published by Oxford University Press in January 2019. Her novel, The Ice Bear Miracle, was published in February 2020.

More books like this

Explore our Bookfinder
Share this page Twitter Facebook LinkedIn