Kela and her father have been pretty lost on their Caribbean island of St. Rita since Kela’s mother died. Her father spends his days manning his shop while Kela avoids friends, collecting sea glass for her jewelry projects. One day, she finds a mysterious looking antique comb in a coral reef. She is drawn to it. What she doesn’t realize is that she has stolen a mermaid’s comb, and its owner Ophidia is crushed by its loss. Her grudge against humans doesn’t leave Ophidia feeling very friendly toward Kela. But by mermaid law, she must offer the girl a wish in exchange for getting her comb back. Kela only has one wish: to have her mother back. But a wish that big comes with a lot of complications.
This book was our February kids book club pick at the library. I was excited to read it as a folklore fan, and Lisa Stringfellow did exactly what mainstream movie studios are too afraid to do: created her mermaid character based on African mermaids like Mami Wata. Ophidia is a formidable villain but like Shere Khan, she has sympathetic reasons for it. Ultimately, she and Kela have more in common than either of them realize. Kela’s family story is very compelling, and while her wish doesn’t get into any Monkey’s Paw territory, the book does open up some interesting conversations around loss, grief, and the dangers of playing with magic.
This is a great pick for upper elementary kids who are getting into mythology and fairy tales, especially those with a little bit of darkness and bite.
