The classic fairy tale of the little mermaid, much different from the Disney movie we all know. In the original book, mermaids live much longer than humans, but have no soul. When the little mermaid makes a deal with the sea witch, she agrees that if the prince marries another then should would turn into sea foam. At the end of our tale, the prince falls in love and marries another. The little mermaid's sisters entrust a knife to her that could kill the prince and turn her back into a mermaid for good. However, she chooses to sacrifice herself for the prince. As she begins to turn into foam, nature deems her worthy of a soul. The little mermaid is then at peace and watches over her loved ones.
A great read for any mermaid lover! I thought the original, darker tale was very captivating to read. The illustrations and tone of the book matched perfectly. I would recommend this book to a 4th grader or older, as the dark content may be to much for a younger student to read. ( )

summary:
This is the story of a mermaid who falls for a human prince. To be with the price she gives up her voice and gains legs, although it would be painful for her to walk. She has to get the prince to marry her because if he married someone else she would turn into seafoam. when the prince marries another princess the mermaids sisters give up their hair for a comb to kill the prince. the mermaid cannot kill him though and throws herself off the boat as she turns to sea foam.
Personal reaction:
I love Disney, I knew that their version wasn't the original, and I knew that the mermaid actually turns to sea foam. This is the first time that I read Hans Christian Andersen's original tale. I prefer it over Disney's because its happily ever after isn't what was expected. You expect the mermaid to marry the prince or kill him but instead she turns into sea foam and gains a never dying soul and she becomes happy.
classroom extension:
1. You play Disney's the little mermaid and have the children point out similarities and differences.
2. You can have children write about whether they prefer Disney's version or the original version.
3. You can have children write their own ending.

The Little Mermaid, illustrated by Katie Thamer Treherne.

Originally published in Danish as Den lille havfrue, Andersen's tale of a mermaid who longs to be human, in order to win romantic love and eternal salvation, has been retold countless times, and interpreted by many different authors and artists. I suspect that it is the most well-known of the author's many beloved tales. Certainly, it is one of the most adapted.

As mentioned in my review of the Charles Santore version, this story has always held a certain fascination for me, despite the fact that it does not rank among my favorite fairy-tales. This edition, illustrated by Katie Thamer Treherne, is a solid, engaging - though by no means brilliant - version, with appealing watercolor illustrations and a (mostly) faithful narrative. A little more abbreviated than the Santore edition (itself based on the nineteenth-century Mary Howitt translation), it nevertheless hits all the key points, and is sure to please all but the most die-hard of fans. I wouldn't put in on the same footing as Santore's retelling, but it is still a very charming addition to any fairy-tale library. ( )