The Girl and the Mermaid

**A Waterstone's Best Book of the Year 2024*
**"An instant classic" - Lancashire Post**
**"Magical" - Inis**
**"Breathtakingly beautiful - Robert Tregoning**

Alina and her granny live in a lighthouse by the sea: a home filled with the warmth of Granny's magical stories.

But Alina is worried. Granny's memories and stories are starting to fade away, and she doesn't know how to bring them back. Then one day, she meets a mermaid on the rocks near the lighthouse - and she's swept into a magical deep-sea adventure that will change everything.

A modern classic from the bestselling creators of The Girl and the Dinosaur.

Review
An instant classic featuring an inspirational underwater adventure and a moving homage to the beauty and power of memory ... A gift book for all the family to enjoy ― Lancashire Post

With equal pinches of whimsy and heart, this is a memorable tale that shines a light on the special bond shared between grandparents and grandchildren ... Magical ― Inis Magazine

Beautifully written, and enhanced by stunning illustrations from Sarah Massini, this is a delightful book ― The Sun on The Girl and the Dinosaur

Superb watercolour illustrations by Sarah Massini and a lively rhyming narrative all contribute to making this a classic book for keeps ― Irish Examiner on The Girl and the Dinosaur

The Girl and the Mermaid is breathtakingly beautiful and joins The Girl and the Dinosaur on my list of favourite books! A fantastical underwater adventure filled with love ― Robert Tregoning

My picture book of 2024 so far. I adore anything with illustrations by Sarah Massini but this is on another level - just gorgeous ― Steven Lenton, bestselling illustrator of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam

Delicate, decorative storytelling ― Nicolette Jones

Completely magical ― Emily Sutton

Sarah Massini's beautifully illuminating illustrations, with her typically rich colour palette, bring her own unique voice to this wonderfully engaging story by Hollie Hughes ― David Melling

Touching and uplifting, this wondrous tale with its lyrical rhyming text and gorgeous watercolour illustrations is sheer delight ― Books for Keeps

Just glorious. A truly magical tale with completely stunning artwork ― David Litchfield

This book is mesmerising . . . Words and illustrations unite to capture a deeply tender story of family, love and memory. What a beautiful, magical creation ― Smriti Halls

With a beautiful, stunning cover that shimmers with gold . . . [this story] creates magical realms for children to explore ― Nila Aye

A phenomenally beautiful book . . . Another modern classic from the dream team that is Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini ― Fiona Woodcock

Hollie Hughes is a hugely talented picture book author. Having three children of her own, she is perfectly tuned in to the reading habits and tastes of young children. She is the author of several much-loved picture books, including Princess Swashbuckle, and the bestselling, award-winning The Girl and the Dinosaur. Hollie lives in Essex with her family.

Sarah Massini studied graphic design and worked in corporate design and children's book design before settling down to pursue her lifelong dream of illustrating books. She is the illustrator of several picture books, including The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes and Kiss It Better by Smriti Prasadam-Halls. She lives in Sussex with her husband, Peter, and her dog, Coco.
@sarah_massini (Instagram)
@SarahMassini (Twitter)