THE BOY, THE MERMAID, AND THE STORM

Baldwin takes readers on a tenacious trek in this hopeful picture book.

A boy leaves home for a sail in the morning, assuring his mother that he’ll return for dinner. A wild storm swallows up the boy, who’s rescued by a mermaid. She whisks him to the Island of the Eye, where he’ll always be safe—but alone forever. Determined to have a fuller life, the boy confronts walls of water, a dragon, and the “Reef of no Return,” but in order to survive, he must truly believe that he’s “stronger than any storm.” Baldwin seems to have intentionally created a generic character—one that effectively allows readers to see themselves in the eye of the storm, which can represent a range of real-life struggles. Efficient, descriptive word choices add to the fairy-tale feel of the story. The sparse text sometimes stumbles through the artwork and other times stands alone, establishing the weather’s rocky rhythm. The illustrations establish an emotional, heavy tone and simultaneously show and tell the tale; indeed, some events take place solely in Bell’s stark, black-and-white line drawings. In a time of pandemic, this survival story provides welcome sunlight in a surging storm.

A strange and special fairy tale that will resonate with many readers.