Merdaddy
by Wednesday Kirwan (Author) Wednesday Kirwan (Illustrator)
An ode to parent-child bonding, imagination, the ocean, and bath time! Perfectly pitched for even the youngest readers, Merdaddy is a sweet young picture book with a gentle, genuinely surprising twist that will charm fans of Oona and Julián Is a Mermaid.
Deep down under the sea live Merbaby and Merdaddy. They talk to the fish, have seaweed picnics, float with the jellyfish, hide with the otters, surf with the turtles, and save any hapless sailors who need help. The water is the best place Merbaby can imagine being . . . until Merdaddy says their fingers look like raisins and their teeth are chattering.
With bright watercolor-and-collage illustrations and a wonderful read-aloud text, Wednesday Kirwan dives into the vivid, sea-themed imagination of a young child. The gentle surprise--we've been playing in the bathtub all along!--will delight young children and their parents alike.
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Kirkus
Proof that playtime is fun time whether on land or under the sea.
Publishers Weekly
A father and child frolic with various sea creatures in this easy-going book, which pictures its protagonists' relationship as one of play and protection. The pair, introduced as merdaddy and merbaby, and portrayed with painterly salmon skin tones, circle each other amid a saturated aquamarine landscape dotted with coral and tropical fish. As the two pal around, first-person narration from the merchild's perspective describes encounters with sharks and jellyfish, a game of hide-and-seek with otters, and a turtle-surfing excursion. Cut-paper elements add depth to Kirwan's scenes, which frequently picture the narrator gazing adoringly at their caregiver. "I want to stay in the water forever," exclaims Merbaby; when Merdad's response notes "that my fingers/ look like raisins/ and my teeth are chattering/ and maybe it's time to get out," the pair's underwater adventure comes differently into focus for a tender close. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV002170 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Marine Life
JUV066000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mermaids
Imagination
Father and child
Baths
Mermaids
