Mariana and the Merchild: A Folk Tale from Chile

We absolutely love this book. I have purchased many copies to give as gifts. The pictures are absolutely extraordinary. I highly recommend this book.

I am a Spanish teacher and I used this book in my culture lesson about Chile for my 2nd graders. The story was very enjoyable for them and offered good opportunities for "higher-level thinking" questions about why the characters do what they do. Some of the wording was a little too advanced for 2nd grade so I rephrased it as I read. The pictures are really quite beautiful. The one complaint I had was that one page shows the mermaid nursing her child, which I felt was inappropriate for that age, so I just didn't show them the picture on that page.

I bought this book for my three-year-old because her teacher's name is Mariana and hoped the book would be good. It did not disappoint. This is a beautiful and moving story about a lost merbaby bringing new life to a lonely old woman. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. My daughter enjoys this book, but Mama absolutely loves it. I hope that it will become a favorite of my daughter over the years.

Invite a little one onto your lap to share the lovely illustrations in this tale from Chile! The paintings are magical and perfectly complement a story that will appeal to young children who enjoy folk and fairy tales.