LOVELY RUBY AND THE MERMAID

Ruby has moved to the shore and away from her best friend, the story's narrator. But the bond of friendship holds fast, thanks to a shared secret: Ruby has met a mermaid who "lives beneath the sea in a dreamland of blue, beyond the deep." In addition to flowing golden hair and a fetching shell bra, the mermaid also possesses a strong sense of empathy. According to Ruby, the mermaid, knowing that the girl misses her friend (Ruby is seen looking small and alone on the beach), gives Ruby an elaborate conch shell, which the girl then sends on to the narrator, who declares it "the loveliest shell I have ever seen." Newcomer Trott, a British greeting card and magazine illustrator, hits choppy waters as a writer. The deep connection between the narrator and Ruby never comes alive—"Lovely Ruby" seems more like a mannered nickname than an expression of a child's intense affection. Perhaps aiming for a mood of poetic reverie (the final page of the book features a poem dedicated to Ruby), Trott often slips into such preciousness as "Mermaid whispers make such happy dreams." The watercolor and ink pictures, however, help compensate for the text's shortcomings by dint of their amiable simplicity. With precise details, tidy framing and liberal use of close-ups, the illustrations make clear the narrator's yearning, and pull readers into the girl's fantasy. Ages 3-7. (May)