I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful legend. But, I definitely think it's geared toward older kids and parents. I don't think young children will be patient enough to sit through it.

McShane's magical tale, based on a story from a historical text from 558 C.E. (the Annals of the Four Masters), tells of Ronan, a boy washed up on the beach near an abbey, found by a monk named Brother Declan. When the boy wakes, he says he and his father were shipwrecked in a storm, and a mermaid saved him. The tale unfolds dreamily (as a tale of this sort should), accompanied by Solano's ethereal art, rendered predominately in earthy tones of browns, blues, and greens. A lovely presentation, the sort of book I treasured as a child, and still do as an adult.

#RónánandtheMermaidATaleofOldIreland #NetGalley

I loved this! Anything to do with mermaids I am always here for. I love that this was based on an actual story of a mermaid sighting, History and fiction wove together seamlessly in this story. The writing style made it sound like I was reading an old fairytale, I loved every second of this.

This was such a wonderful book. I am not aware of the original folklore but had a great time reading this. I love mermaid stories and this came at the perfect time!!! Loved it. Also the artwork! WOWOW! I highly recommend this book, Such a quick read, I read it while making my tea!

This is an enjoyable enough myth, but definitely involves the catholic faith and baptism in case that's something a parent hasn't exposed their child to prior to reading this. I think the end could be confusing in that case.

I'm really glad I was able to read this book, I found the story itself really interesting and I loved the artwork in the book. Overall I really loved reading this.

The book transported me back to my stay in Ireland with its rich language. A wonderfully told story in picture book form. The art work was beautiful and helped pull you into the story. McShane brought the tale of Ronan and Liban to life. It would be a great book to use in a classroom to introduce folk tales.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

My kids and I love Irish stories and this one was an instant hit! Definitely going to be looking to add this to our home library.

The drawings are beautiful! This was a beautiful story of early Ireland that I had not heard before. It was great to read about the actual place at the end of the story to give context.

Summary: When Brother Declan discovers a boy lying in the sand surrounded by seals, he takes him back to the Abbey of Bangor. As he picks up the boy, he notices two things: a flash of gold in the water and a silver ring with the letter L on it in the boy’s hand. As the boy recovers, he tells the monks that his name is Rónán, and that he and his father were caught in a storm while out fishing. His father drowned, and as Rónán hears stories from the monks about mermaids, he starts to believe he was saved by one, specifically a legendary mermaid named Lihan. The boy stays at the abbey, learning to do chores and to play the harp. One night he hears the song of the mermaid, and plays his harp back to her. The next morning, he goes out in a boat and finds Lihan. It turns out she’s been waiting 300 years for peace, which she thinks can be had by getting blessed by the abbott. Rónán brings her back to the abbey, and Lihan receives the blessing, is christened Muirgen, and becomes known as the Mermaid Saint. Includes an author’s note telling the origins of this story. 32 pages; grades K-5.

Pros: A fun and interesting retelling of a tale that will appeal to anyone with an interest in mermaids (selkies are mentioned as well). The watercolor paintings add the right touch with their renderings of the Irish coast and the sea.

Cons: The ending was kind of anti-climactic. If I ran across a mermaid, I don’t know what my first thought would be, but it wouldn’t be to turn her into a saint.

'Rónán and the Mermaid: A Tale of Old Ireland' by Marianne McShane with art by Jordi Solano is a picture book telling the story of the Mermaid Saint.

When Ronan washes ashore in Ireland, he is found by monks and taken to their beehive shaped dwellings. He tells the tale of being washed overboard and seeing a mermaid. The monks take him in and even build him a harp. Can Ronan use it to find his mermaid again?

I loved this beautiful, lyrical story. The illustrations show how sparse things are, but still make them appealing and interesting to see. There is a really nice author's note talking about the inspiration for the story.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Candlewick Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

What a wonderful way to experience the folklore of old Ireland. Being from there, I wanted the opportunity to share some of the folklore with Ada. It is a book for an older age, as she is only 2, but I was able to read it to her, before bedtime, over a few days, and she loved it. It is a brilliant book, with stunning illustrations. An 8-10 year old would truly enjoy reading this on their own.

I think I just found my new favorite fictional book based on folklore. And the fact that it includes mentions of Selkies and mermaids is just the start of the crowning jewel.

There's an author's note in the back of the book that explains what portions of the story is true or was said to be true and the what part was taken in creative license. But what I cannot fault Marianne in when she presented this story with her own view is the fact that she was able to add her own creativity while keeping the same tone for Rónán's story as it may have actually occurred if he wasn't a made-up character as there are plenty of musicians from that part of the world who have had magical instruments that connected the worlds together.

The writing itself is gorgeous and magical while bringing the reader into a world that seems so exotic yet familiar. Plus the words are like their own music yet simple enough to understand so the story wouldn't be a hard read for elementary children although sadly there isn't a pronunciation guide for the Irish names, which could be a bit more difficult to figure out.

And what brings this magical book together are the beautiful illustrations. They are beautifully colored to fit the tone of the writing on the page, capture the details so wonderfully and add to the story with their realism. If anything I could just look at the illustrations all day without stop.

As a result of the illustrations, though, I would have to say the biggest thing I would have to change on this particular book is just the formatting I read as digital didn't allow a side-by-side thus the illustrations were cut off. In a physical format I can only imagine what the book would be like without having to move to the next page to get the other half of the picture.

I would definitely recommend this to those who like Irish lore and to those who especially have a soft spot for mermaid lore as well. This will be a nice book to curl up with on those rainy days and to allow yourself just to be submersed into its pages.

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

McShane has crafted an absolutely beautiful book, full of rich and magical folklore with equally compelling illustrations. My 7 year old daughter and my 4 year old son were both mesmerized by the entwined stories of Ronan, Liban, and the monks of the abbey at Bangor. I think this speaks to how universally magical this story is, with the adventures of a boy named Ronan and a beautiful mermaid-princess-saint named Liban.

Our only qualm is that the book wasn't longer and full of more detail! But this picturebook was a wonderful jumping-off point and we can't wait to read more about Liban, the monks at Bangor Abbey, and anything else Marianne McShane publishes in coming years.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’ll call this one an advanced picture book. There are definitely bigger blocks of text than in many picture books, but it’s not a chapter book. I like that’s it’s a bit of a bridge between the two for new and emerging readers.

This book recounts the lesser-known tale of the Mermaid Saint and how she was saved by the one she saved first. A boy is found on the shore among some seals, covered in seaweed. He has a mysterious ring that he says a beautiful woman, who he first thought was a fish, gave him after his boat was wrecked. The monks of the Abby take the boy in and raise him, teaching him to play the harp, and he sits on the cliffs and plays in hopes the mermaid will hear him. He never stops believing him, and when something gets caught in his fishing nets, he’s given the chance to repay an old debt.

I loved the art in this one, and the bigger blocks of text mean more full-page, beautifully detailed illustrations. I love folklore, and whenever you say the word, “mermaid,” you’ve got me. This one is out next week, so if you’re looking to give your young reader a little challenge and the opportunity to learn some cool, Irish lore, check this one out.

My Review: I love folk tales, and this book really gave me those vibes. The illustrations are stunning. It might be a bit long and go over the heads of the youngest readers but older children will enjoy the story. I love the blending of belief systems in this book, the more magical pagan beliefs and the newer Christian beliefs. The fact that the story is taken from the history books was great as well, I really appreciated the author note describing the historical details.

My Rating: I really enjoyed this book, I loved the illustrations and the historical basis. It may not be perfect for the youngest kids but it would work well for a bedtime story for 5 and up. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

An illustrated book inspired from an old Irish tale. I love this kind of stories because they illustrate perfectly how folklore remains alive even with the arrival of new cultures! The illustrations are static but this implements the sense of beautiful timelessness of the story.

What a beautifully illustrated story. This has just about everything my childish heart could want. Mermaids! Ireland! The sea, a rescue and a hint of selkies. I'll look for more from this duo of author and illustrator. Wish I had small children around me so that I could distribute this to spark their imaginations.

I love anything to do with Ireland so I needed to read this book. I really liked the storyline and illustrations. My son required that I read it to him every night.

Ronan and the Mermaid tells us of an old Irish tale about a boy saved from the sea by a mermaid, and how he came to help the mermaid in turn. This is the story of the so-called Mermaid Saint, as told for younger children, accompanied by illustrations.

It was an interesting story to read, even id somewhat dry. The storytelling could definitely become more interesting. Nevertheless, it was a good read, one that children might enjoy.