THE WATER'S CALL

A summer sailboat adventure helps a girl discover her mermaid heritage in this translated German import.

Alea has grown up believing she has cold urticaria, an allergy to cold water, which has left her terrified of exposure to the ocean, lakes, rain, and even glasses of cold water. But after her foster mother has a heart attack and ends up hospitalized, Alea is wandering around forlorn when she encounters the Alpha Cru, a trio of youths who live aboard an old sailboat. Assuming the name “Alea Aquarius,” she joins them as they make their way from Hamburg, Germany, to the Dutch port town of Renesse, seeking information about Alea’s mysterious biological mother. They play rock music on street corners for money and add a fifth crew member with magical abilities. Eventually, Alea learns that her allergy was a ruse that hid her true identity as a mergirl. With its brisk pacing and the kids’ quaint, old-fashioned dialogue (“Goody gumdrops,” “Alea told me you all were strange birds…But only now do I understand what she meant”), this episodic series opener is a fun family read-aloud that’s reminiscent of the Boxcar Children series. The young people, who range in age from roughly 9 to about 18, have been through traumatic experiences, which are handled with a light touch; they largely come across as emotionally unscathed. Most characters present white; one crew member, who’s from France, is cued Black.

Charming, if slightly twee.