Maya dreams of being a mermaid. She dances to Caribbean music in her favorite skirt her mama made of seven tiers of turquoise net. She dives for shiny coins in the pool at the park and can float on her back forever. But Maya also has nightmares and ocean fears. One night, mama tells her the legend of her namesake, Yemaya, the Goddess of the Ocean. Yemaya comes to Maya in a dream, taking her on an undersea journey. Mermaid Dreams illuminates the universal dreams and fears of children and adults alike, offering new ways to find courage and comfort, inner power and peace. Mermaid Dreams expands the mosaic of mermaid imagery so that more children can recognize themselves in this magical archetype. The luminous illustrations are vibrant and mystical. A Discussion Guide, Activities, and other Sources & Resources are included. A beautiful bedtime book for ages 4 ~ 8.

Mermaids come in all shapes and sizes! In this sweet picture book, a shy little girl goes on a magical underwater adventure filled with adorable mermaids, silly sea creatures, games with new friends and wonderful surprises! One sunny Saturday, Maya and her parents visit the beach. Maya loves the beach: the warm sand feels wonderful between her toes. But it would be more fun if she had a friend. Too shy to say hello, Maya watches the kids play nearby, and slowly her eyes droop closed . . . When Maya awakens she has been transported to a magical underwater world. Maya admires the sea creatures flitting around her, and she discovers that she too has a beautiful tail. Maya is a mermaid! But who is calling out a greeting from behind that coral? Whose bright eyes are peering at her from the sea grass? Whose laughter does she hear? Could it be a new friend? Or just another sea creature? This adorable picture book will delight the youngest daydreamers and shows us that making new friends may not be as hard as you think -- if you have a good imagination!

With the moon as a guide and a symbol, this resource introduces a whole new approach to the coming-of-age years, a time to strengthen the mother-daughter connection with the support of community, and celebrate female gifts and wisdom. 178 pp.

From Homer's Odyssey to Pirates of the Caribbean, Mermaids have fascinated popular culture for centuries. Among the Mermaids is an enchanting collection of classic stories, facts, and tales of mermaids from around the world that will thrill every lover of this romanticized mythological creature. Compiled by Book of the Bizarre author and Magical Creature devotee Varla Ventura, Among the Mermaids includes turn of the century tales of merfolk from Bret Harte, T. Crofton Croker, and W.B. Yeats, along with tantalizing trivia, facts, first-hand accounts, and speculations about mermaids in popular culture. Some facts about the fluid and the fair from the book: Many people believe today that early explorer sightings of mermaids were manatees. (Scurvy + many days away from your lady = a blubbery creature looking supple and bodacious.)Blackbeard, the fierce and terrible pirate, was afraid of his crew being lured into a watery grave by mermaids, so he ordered his ships to avoid certain areas reputed to have a high number of mermaid sightings.Since 2009, the town of Kiryat Yam, Israel has offered a prize of $1 million dollars to anyone who can prove the mermaid off their coast is real. The prize remains unclaimed.

From singer, actress, and dancer Vanessa Williams comes a sweet, sparkling story (with free audio link!) about a young girl whose beloved pet fish has wonderful, magical powers. She gives me bubble kisses, bubble kisses as she swims by in the water. She never misses with her bubble kisses. And I’m so glad I got her. A young girl adores her goldfish, Sal. But Sal is no ordinary pet: while she can’t fetch a ball or curl up on a lap, she can give bubble kisses that transform the girl into a mermaid and transport her to a world of underwater adventures. There, beneath the sea, they play, sing, and dance with other mermaids. The catchy, breezy, rhymed tale is perfect for bedtime, and includes a download link to the audio companion.

This book traces the visual cultures and histories of Mami Wata and other African water divinities. Mami Wata, often portrayed with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish, is at once beautiful, jealous, generous, seductive, and potentially deadly. A water spirit widely known across Africa and the African diaspora, her origins are said to lie "overseas," although she has been thoroughly incorporated into local beliefs and practics. She can bring good fortune in the form of money, and her power increased between the fifteenth and twentieth centuries, the era of growing international trade between Africa and the rest of the world. Her name, which may be translated as "Mother Water" or "Mistress Water," is pidgin English, a language developed to lubricate trade. Africans forcibly carried across the Atlantic as part of that "trade" brought with them their beliefs and practices honoring Mami Wata and other ancestral deities. Henry John Drewal is the Evjue-Bascom Professor of African and African Diaspora Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Other contributors include Marilyn Houlberg, Bogumil Jewsiewicki, Amy L. Noell, John W. Nunley, and Jill Salmons.

The Three Sunflowers tells of a turbulent day in the garden where a trio of sunflowers -- the tall, wise Gloria and young Solita and Sunny -- face unexpected and chaotic events they have no power to stop. Through it all, Gloria guides and reassures the youngsters and reminds them of the purpose of a sunflower’s life. After a dark night of uncertainty, the story concludes with a delightful surprise ending. This unique and inspiring book offers empowering messages of hope, courage and peace, with new perspectives for living in an unpredictable world.