Stories by the Sea

What could be better for bedtime stories at a mermaid-themed Brownie pack holiday than these two gorgeous seaside stories?

We combined sea creatures, mermaids, shells and waves with all sorts of camp skills and fun activities. The girls (age 7-10) absolutley loved Sheldon’s New Shell by Lily Murray & Sam Caldwell and The Mermaid Moon by Briony May Smith.

Sheldon’s New Shell by Lily Murray & Sam Caldwell (Buster Books)

Sheldon is a hermit crab who has outgrown his shell. He runs into trouble when he can’t find a replacement. All the lovely shells have been collected by visitors to the beach, leaving only bits of rubbish for him to crawl into. He worries he’ll never find a new home. His charming friends try to help but he ends up stuck inside a plastic bottle! Finally, a young girl comes along to help him and organises a beach clean-up.

The Brownies loved Sheldon. He’s cute and fun with colourful friends. The rhyming text kept them engaged and they couldn’t help but call out the words at the end of each line. They were keen to talk about the lessons from the story and how they could help keep beaches clean. This story ties in beautifully with the Take Action part of the Brownie programme that encourages girls to make a difference in their world.

The Mermaid Moon by Briony May Smith (Walker Books)

This book arrived just a few days before we went on pack holiday. It could not have been more perfect for a group of mermaid-loving girls who had just seen the new The Little Mermaid film at the cinema and were about to embark on a weekend of all things “under the sea”.

Molly (human) and Merrin (mermaid) are best friends. They live together in Merporth, a little fishing village – Molly on land and Merrin in the harbour. It’s the Mermaid Moon festival when all the sea creatures are able to swim through the air to explore the human world. This year is special because Merrin is finally old enough to join in. Molly can’t wait to show Merrin her house. There’s just one catch. Merrin must return home before the moon’s reflection disappears from the sea or the magic will vanish from the cove forever.

The girls have a lovely time together as Merrin experiences so many new things. When it’s time for her to return home, she runs into a problem. Could this be the end of mermaid magic?

The Brownies were silent as I read this gorgeous story. They loved the two characters and wished they could be the ones to make a mermaid friend. There was a bit of a “Snowman” feel as Merrin tried out everything in the human world and the girls sat in the magic of the moonlight. The illustrations, in deep blues and a silvery glow, are absolutely enchanting. This is a story to be read again and again, spotting new details each time.

Needless to say, the Brownies were completely charmed when their young leader transformed into a mermaid for the Saturday night mermaid games!

Thank you to Walker Books & Buster Books for these lovely books!