Rónán and the Mermaid: A Tale of Old Ireland
Age 5+
Picture Storybooks
An Irish storyteller revisits the little-known legend of the Mermaid Saint in a haunting, beautifully illustrated tale of kindness, music and longing.
Long ago, on the eastern coast of Ireland, a monk from the Abbey of Bangor was collecting driftwood along the shore when he found a boy washed up amid a circle of seals. At first the boy could barely move or speak. But when he regained his strength, he recalled being brought ashore by a lady with long golden hair who sang him to safety and gave him a silver ring. The monks knew the legend of a mermaid who had wandered the coast for three hundred years. Could it possibly have been her?
Inspired by a story told in medieval chronicles of Irish history, debut author Marianne McShane weaves a captivating tale, while Jordi Solano captures the legend’s spare but welcoming abbey on the rocky shore – a setting that makes you believe that if you listen hard enough, you too can hear the mermaid’s song.
Creators
Marianne McShane is a seanchaí, a traditional Irish storyteller. She grew up on the east coast of Ireland and especially loves to tell folk tales and fairytales from her native land. Ronan and the Mermaid is her first book for children. She lives in Ireland, on the same shore where this story took place. Find her online at http://www.mariannemcshane.com/
Jordi Solano is the illustrator of Beyond the Sixth Extinction by Shawn Sheehy and Swimming with Sharks by Heather Lang. He lives in Spain.
