Christmas Goes Underwater in A Merry Mermaid Christmas

I’ve read Christmas stories set in many different types of locales. But A Merry Mermaid Christmas, written by Mary Man-Kong and illustrated by Bob Berry, is the first I’ve encountered that takes place underwater.

This colorful paperback takes readers to the majestic undersea kingdom of Atlantica introduced in Disney’s animated feature, The Little Mermaid. In the film, Ariel is 16, and she doesn’t seem much younger than that here; the much younger Flounder also seems about the same age as in the film, so I’d say it’s set within a year before the events of the movie. Not that continuity is a huge concern in Little Mermaid prequels, as demonstrated by the movie Ariel’s Beginning.

The book boasts an eye-catching cover, which is textured and sprinkled with sparkles. Inside, the illustrations are less striking but consistent with the look of the movies and TV series. The book is written in simple prose and involves Ariel’s discovery of the human holiday of Christmas. She’s so taken with it that she decides that the merpeople and their aquatic friends should have their own celebration, complete with a makeshift Christmas tree, decorations and a secret gift exchange.

Scatter-brained seagull Scuttle has a large role to play in the book, as he tells Ariel all about Christmas after she discovers some artifacts discarded from a celebration. Along the way, he characteristically offers some amusing names and definitions for ordinary objects, calling a book a “wopple” and a Christmas star a “sparkleydoo”. The sparkleydoo ends up being the central object of the book, as Ariel finds a very special purpose for it.

It’s fun to see Christmas traditions translated into an underwater context. The “Christmas tree” consists of sea plants stacked on top of each other to resemble an evergreen, and gifts given include a seaweed scarf and a shell necklace. Of course, snow is out, but on the whole, the scene looks very festive, and the celebration emphasizes the value of generosity.

This is a simple tale for young fans of The Little Mermaid. It’s not particularly involved, but I’d say it works better than the film sequels do. The basic story would have worked well as an episode of the television series. If you’re dreaming of an aquatic Christmas, have a look at A Merry Mermaid Christmas.