Mar 2, 20232 min read

Emerald and the Ocean Parade

by Harriet Muncaster

SYNOPSIS

Beautifully illustrated in two colour, this new series from the world of Isadora Moon introduces Isadora's mermaid friend, Emerald!

Emerald is learning how to be a mermaid princess, but she doesn't feel like one at all. She's not very good at waving to crowds and royal headdresses just aren't her thing - her hair is too spiky and wild. Emerald's wriggly pet octopus, Inkibelle, doesn't much like living at the royal palace either.

The annual Ocean Parade is coming up. Will Emerald be brave enough to be a mermaid princess but do it her own, special way?

Beautiful gift edition packed with extra activities and things to make and do.

REVIEW

Basically I'm a crime fiction book blogger and reviewer and even though I would never force my own personal tastes on my children, it does help when I love the books we read together. For a while now I have been reading the Annalisa Swyn books with my older daughter. These are the Welsh translated versions of the Isadora Moon books and we are both big fans of the characters and the illustrations. The Emerald series is a new series in the same universe - starring Emerald the mermaid, her family and her pet octopus Inkibelle.

The first thing I loved about this new book was the colour scheme. The black and white illustrations with pops of green are stunning and fits in really well with the other two sets of books. Secondly, on top of a lovely story, the book also has some really fun extras which my daughter really enjoyed - a map for her to explore and some related activities in the back of the book. These included a quiz, recipes, crafts and a game. If your child(ren) are fans of the other books, they will definitely love doing these extra little bits.

For me personally, I have always loved reading slightly alternative books and genres. The fact that these books are about vampires and mermaids just gives them a bit of an edge over more typical children's stories. I love the fact that there are elements of folklore and a general quirkiness to the characters and their settings. This just means that I look forward to the bedtime stories a little bit more! When I asked my daughter what her favourite thing about Emerald and the Ocean Parade was, she said Inkibelle. I have a feeling she'll be asking for a pet octopus fairly frequently as a result!