The Mermaid's Gift

Gr 1–3—Italy's small island of Burano is the setting for this local legend of a young fisherman's encounter with a mermaid. Rowing out through a barely thawed lagoon into the wind-chopped sea, Gianni is desperate to find fish for the starving people in the icebound village. The story unfolds smoothly, told from Gianni's point of view and that of Nicoletta, his betrothed, who anxiously awaits his return. The hungry folks at home think that Gianni is a fool, risking his life. Nicoletta and the others continue their work of "mending nets, tending to children, and stirring bubbling pots of thin porridge." Van Wagoner's double-page paintings skillfully capture the gray storminess at sea, imbuing the home and village views with warmer tones of brown and gold, though wintery gray is here, too. As predicted in the title, the mermaid comes to his rescue, towing him back to his small boat. Her beautiful gift, "folds of delicate lace," emerges from the foaming drops of water her busy tail splashes over him. "A gift for the bride…a veil for her wedding day." The women of Burano did long ago truly turn from net mending to lace making for profitable trade in Venice. McAdam's final author's note mentions "the good that comes from sacrifice and perseverance."