I decided i'd read this just to get my mermaid thing going before reading 'The Mermaid'.

I'm very disappointed.

Silly little girl falls in love with handsome prince who she can't have because she's just not good enough and he loves another, blah, blah, blah.   So she has to die, like dead forever, because Mermaids don't have an immortal souls like human beings do because they're obviously just animals and Anderson obviously believes that animals don't have souls and probably agrees with Descartes that you can even nail them to doors and dissect them without anaesthetic because they're just soulless things unworthy of our consideration.

But wait, Hans gives this disgusting, soulless animal a chance, she can have legs to go on land and woo the handsome prince but she has to lose her voice by having her tongue cut out and suffer the pain of walking on knives for her whole life to do so.   So desperate is this soulless creature that she agrees to this obscene torture.   If she gets the prince to own her through marriage thus becoming a responsible pet owner for this soulless animal then god will bestow a soul upon this creature and it can live happily ever after as the sex slave of the prince.   Otherwise she's just going to be a bit of nothing floating on the wind for all eternity.

And then we're told that if children are good then the little mermaid may still get a soul and go to heaven but if children are bad then she won't.   So if you you're a naughty child then you're obviously a fucking evil little shit who hates mermaids.   WTF!!!   But mermaids are soulless animals who don't get to go to heaven so its a bit confused as to whether a child should be worried about being good when its not actually the child's fault in the first place that mermaids are soulless animals who god obviously hates and doesn't want in heaven.

I seriously would not read this to any child i had in my care.   It's disgusting, backward, patriarchal, god grovelling drivel.   Some books should be burned/deleted. ( )

The illustrated The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson and Bernadette is a marvellous little tale that recounts the exact story of The Little Mermaid.

The illustrations are very soft and subtle, making this story feel more whimsical than how dark it actually is. I did enjoy re-reading this fairy tale and taking a trip down memory lane, with the help of some pictures this time around! I appreciate new versions of these stories coming out with new pictures to help bring the classics back to life.

My only complaint is that this version it felt like it didn't bring anything new to the story. It was just new pictures. I understand it's an exact replica with new pictures, but I wanted a little more? Maybe more exciting pictures with brighter (or even darker) colours? This soft palette just didn't feel like it matched much. It felt more Disney than Hans Christian Andersen.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. ( )

Whenever I re-read a fairytale from my childhood, I am always surprised at how different it is from my memory of it. This one, of course, suffered from the innumerable times I was forced to watch the Disney version with the grandchildren.

Andersen was the quintessential moral story teller, with many lessons to be carried away by both children and adults. The obvious ones of not longing for things that you cannot have and measure the cost carefully before you make the deal, but on the flip side, nothing exceeds love for virtue and you might get unexpected rewards for good deeds done.

I was interested in the religious overtones regarding the soul, for that was what the little mermaid was seeking, the chance to be human and have a soul that would live beyond the grave. ( )

This is a beautiful new edition of a well-known story by Hans Christian Anderson! The illustrations are beautiful. The cover art is gorgeous. And the story is the one I remember from childhood. Just a wonderful reading experience. I'm going to buy a copy for my granddaughter. :)

This book includes the story of The Little Mermaid and also The True-Hearted Tin Soldier. There are lovely illustrations throughout. This book is gorgeous and definitely giftable quality.

These stories would be great bedtime reading for kids, or a shelf staple for book/fairy tale lovers.

I will definitely be looking for more books illustrated by Helen Crawford-White. The art is just beautiful! Great reading and visual experience!

I have a pretty stressful job. I read a lot of children's books as a brain palate cleanser. It really does bring thoughts and feelings down to a calmer spot just to relax with a cup of tea and a sweet, innocent story. This book gave me a wonderful evening of relaxation after a busy, stressful day. :)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Pushkin Children's Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )