The reef rescue by Delphine Davis

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Mermaid holidays series. Illus: Adele K. Thomas. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796473.
(Age: 5-7) The Mermaids are going to Sea Star Reef Summer Camp together, a holiday that Olivia Ocean is really looking forward to sharing with her friends. She plans to have as much fun as possible and do some exploring of the reef while she is there. Finding the elusive 'Dumbo Octopus' becomes the driving motivation for Olivia and her mermates. They do however break some rules and put themselves into a risky situation which might have some consequences.
This is a story that is like a cartoon episode with animated characters and slightly lame humour and sea-themed terminology. The essence of the story is just about friends getting together, but the cartoon-like illustrations reveal the underwater fantasy and the slightly odd characters in the mermaids' holiday world. Text within the book has coloured capitalised words scattered throughout to add interest, and many of the expressions and idiom have a marine theme. This is just a light-hearted story to engage early readers.
Suited to readers aged 5-7 who have graduated to easy chapter books. Themes: Mermaids, Friendship.
Carolyn Hull

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