Mermaids can still make a splash in children's literature.
Being brought up in a seaside town meant I often stood on the beach, looking beyond the waves and imagining another world beneath the sea.
It wasn't hard to feel there must be a secret world of shell-studded caves and watery underwater castles. Mermaids fitted right into those daydreams. A beautiful creature with a shimmering tail may have been looking right back at me or peeping shyly from a colourful rock pool.
So seeing the attraction in children's books was an easy step. Mermaids are magical beings - part human, part otherworldly.
Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid was a favourite childhood book.
This mermaid longs so much for the human world that she gives up her voice to enter it. It's a darker story than the Disney version and involves sacrifice and a spiritual ending.
Jan Brett's The Mermaid is a familiar fairy tale with an underwater twist.
It's a kind take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with the mermaid, Kiniro, exploring a house belonging to three octopuses. It's a playful, mischievous mermaid this time. A very different character.
For younger readers there's KG Campbell's The Mermaid and the Shoe.
Minnow feels less worthy than her sisters, but when she finds an odd object - a shoe - her curiosity takes her off on an adventure.
I think for ages 9-12 mermaid stories work particularly well. They can have a little danger swimming beneath to add to the excitement.
An elusive figure glimpsed beyond the waves can create a delicious shiver. Maybe not a good idea to follow that beautiful singing into the ocean, though.
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