"Mister Hard-Times
Won't do a lick,
Just say, "work faster,
or whip you with a stick."
What do you do when your step-pa makes you work too hard? You run to your secret hideaway, the beach. In Sukey and the Mermaid, Sukey is a young overworked girl who seeks refuge at the beach and into the loving arms of a mermaid, Mama Jo. Each visit with Mama Jo turns into an adventure and gold coins for Sukey. When Sukey's ma becomes curious about her visits to the beach, she discovers the girl's secret and tells her step-pa. Her step-pa attemps to capture Mama-Jo and sell her for a lot of money. Meanwhile, Sukey decides to live with Mama-Jo permanently. Or, does she? The outcome of this tale gives readers a true lesson on love and good fortune.
"The mermans cotch you and pull you beneath the water."
Throughout the story, Robert San Souci provides dialogue unique to the South Carolina coast or Gullah region. Pinkney's illustrations have a flowy dreamy appearance. This illustrative technique along San Souci's use of regional dialect deepens the connection between the characters and the reader's imagination.
San Souci once commented in an interview that very few African American folktales include mermaids in the story line. This story will definitely appeal to young readers who are fascinated by mermaids. They will be mesmerized by the reading treasures found at sea!
