Chantelle Ciccotosto, Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef, Austin MacAuley Publishers, January 2025, 40 pp., RRP $17.87 (pbk), ISBN 9781035827923
Mia goes on a snorkelling trip in the beautiful UNESCO Heritage Area of Ningaloo Reef, off Western Australia. Whilst swimming amongst the gentle shark whales she magically transforms into a glittery rainbow coloured mermaid who has the power to clear ocean pollution.
Ciccotosto develops a lovely story of magic and imagination with a marine conservation theme. The story is followed by six pages of interesting facts about Ningaloo Reef and the importance of marine conservation.
The standout feature of this book is its vibrantly coloured, full-page underwater scenes with Mia and ocean creatures exuding movement and energy.
Ciccotosto’s language achieves some vivid imagery, and my favourite is … a singing mermaid with dancing torpedoes and twirls. But I think it is a pity that the rhyming format lacks consistent rhythm and some attempts to force the rhyme result in clunky altered word order or irrelevant words inserted.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed learning about Ningaloo Reef, of which I knew very little. I also loved looking at the brilliantly coloured illustrations.
Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef is a special picture book for its theme of ocean conservation and the setting of a precious natural environment, Ningaloo Reef. It is suited for children aged 5-8 years old.
Review by Barbara Swartz
