The Little Mermaid, illustrated by Sulamith Wülfing.

I am somewhat bemused to find myself giving any edition of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid - a tale about which I have, at best, ambiguous feelings - a full five stars, but I was so enchanted by Sulamith Wülfing's gorgeous artwork that four stars just wasn't sufficient. This astonishingly beautiful picture-book now ranks up there with my all-time favorite Andersen retellings, from Vladylsav Yerko's The Snow Queen, to Anne Yvonne Gilbert's The Wild Swans. How glad I am that I requested it through Inter-Library Loan! Now I need to obtain a copy of my own...

The narrative itself, translated from the German edition by Petra Michel, is a fairly standard retelling - one that is mostly faithful to the original, although the highly moralistic ending, in which the Little Mermaid's fate depends upon the behavior of the children she encounters, has been thankfully removed. But the illustrations - both black and white prints interspersed with the text, and full-page color paintings - are breathtakingly beautiful, capturing the wild eldritch magic of the tale. Fantastic in theme, and rich in decorative detail, Wülfing's art here is clearly influenced by both Celtic and Norse design. A visually stunning title, sure to appeal to fantasy and fairy-tale art lovers!

Note: parents who find nudity in a children's book objectionable, should be aware that Wülfing depicts the Little Mermaid in all her naked glory, even showing (as one amazon reviewer noted with outrage) her nipples. ( )