Mermaid Crossing

Photo by me! Cape May, NJ.

Good day to you! Yesterday was my second day of school and work as the Slightly-Less-Competent-Than-The-Last-GA-But-Not-As-Slow-As-The-GA-Before-Her GA. (Cookies for the reference.) I am back in the world of academia, and happy to be there. However, that means that updates may be a little slower coming until I'm settled into a routine. Never fear, I'll never abandon this blog or my lovely readers.

Speaking of mermaids, I'm Here, I'm Queer, What The Hell Do I Read? (Love your blog name!) alerted me to the existence of a picture book that needs to join the rest of my collection. Ever hear about the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island? It has a reputation as rather a wild time, but has grown more family friendly in recent years while still retaining a bit of that debauchery. The illustrious Melanie Hope Greenberg has immortalized said mermaids in her latest, Mermaids on Parade. Here's what Ms. Betsy Bird (of Fuse #8, also one of my blogging heroes) has to say:

Really, one of the few parades left in the city that successfully melds that old-time wildness with the newfangled kid-friendly vibe is Coney Island's annual Mermaid Parade. Topless women and babies, that's what you'll see these days. It seems an odd parade to celebrate in the format of a picture book, but Mermaid Parade attendee and illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg is up to the challenge. With her bold colors and sense of pizzazz, Greenberg brings to life an event that continues to enthrall both children and adults alike with a love of fun, costumes, and general unavoidable weirdness.

I would have adored this book as a child--carnival atmosphere, bright colors, a theme park, mermaids, New York City happy families and a touch of genderbending, all wrapped up in one colorful package. (Just like the books I'm writing!) Can't wait to read it!

Here's Lee Wind's original post, with an interior shot.