NEN AND THE LONELY FISHERMAN

A fisherman and a merman find love by the sea.

Nen, a merman with a golden fishtail, loves exploring the world of humans. One day, as he swims close to shore, he notices that one of the fishermen seems different from the others. Ernest is gentle and creative, and he rescues sea birds accidentally snared by nets. Both are lonely, and when they meet one night under the moon, they fall in love. Nen’s father, Pelagios, frustrated at Nen’s insistence on interacting with humans, who are hurting the ocean, creates a storm that pulls Ernest under. But Nen saves him, and Pelagios sees that he was wrong. In the end, Ernest and Nen meet happily at the shore, sitting on the rocks and holding hands. The ending is a pleasant departure from the “Little Mermaid” template; neither man needs to fundamentally change who he is so they can be together. It’s a tender fairy tale with no heavy-handed moral, though the importance of love and of respecting the ocean comes through clearly. The illustrations have a sketchy simplicity to them, but they are sweet and moody, with the warm colors depicting Nen and Ernest standing out against an ocean of blues and grays. There are also plenty of cute sea creatures to spot. Young readers who appreciate fairy tales, love stories, or mermaids will be enchanted. Nen and Pelagios are brown-skinned and dark-haired, while Ernest has pale skin and red hair.

A moving celebration of love.