Luke Pearson (creator), Stephen Davies (text) and Sapo Lendario (illustrator), Hilda and the Laughing Merman, Walker Books, February 2024, RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 978 1 838741020
Hilda has recently moved to Trolberg with her mother and—as an adventurer, explorer, and sketchbook keeper—she is looking forward to Sparrow Scouts Camp. But Hilda isn’t an ordinary kind of kid. She tends to stand out in a crowd with her blue hair and faithful deer fox companion Twig by her side. Hilda also has a talent for attracting weird experiences, becoming involved in action packed adventures, and meeting up with out-of-the-ordinary characters. Some of her classmates unkindly refer to her, and her new friends David and Frida, as ‘The Freaky Friends”. Due to this, Hilda decides that she will be less conspicuous at camp; to blend in. But when Hilda, David, Frida and recent recruit Louise, meet up with a merman fleeing from a sea serpent, the extraordinary happens.
Based on Season Three of the multi-award-winning animated Netflix series, Hilda and the Laughing Merman introduces a more grown-up Hilda and some fascinating new characters, creatures and locations. There is now an even broader world of fantasy out there for Hilda and her friends in which they will be tested to resolve problems, make quick, sound decisions, and keep the safety of others at the forefront of their deeds.
Hilda and the Laughing Merman is also more than action-packed. There are twists and turns on every page. The main characters are endearing – good friends and caring companions – and the creatures they meet are delightfully bizarre. What an imagination Luke Pearson and Stephen Davies display in these stories.
Hilda and the Laughing Merman is very accessible; easy to read with comfortable chapter spacing, an uncluttered format and clear text, however I did trip over a few grammatical errors. The language is a wonderful mix of everyday words and the fanciful which really does add a fun element to the language. The illustrations by Sapo Lendario are delightfully quirky, and certainly capture the weird and wonderful.
It is good to see a series of books for early primary-aged children that extend the visual stories they see on screen. Hilda and the Laughing Merman moves the focus from spectator to participant as the language, in this case often invented words and letter combinations specifically created for these stories, brings the wonder of Hilda’s world to life.
Reviewed by Jennifer Mors
