32 Black Mermaid Books for Children & Teenagers

Colours of Us

2 years ago

Time for some Black Mermaid books! My daughters and I were so excited when we heard that the new Little Mermaid movie will feature a Black mermaid! I searched the internet up and down to see if there were also any Black mermaid books and dolls and found quite a few gems! Enjoy browsing and don’t forget to check out the Black Mermaid dolls at the end of the post!

32 Black Mermaid Books for Children & Teenagers

Preschool

Mermaid Dreams
by Kate Pugsley

One sunny Saturday, Maya and her parents visit the beach. Maya loves the beach: the warm sand feels wonderful between her toes. But it would be more fun if she had a friend. Too shy to say hello, Maya watches the kids play nearby, and slowly her eyes droop closed . . . When Maya awakens she has been transported to a magical underwater world. She is a mermaid! But who is calling out from behind that coral? Whose bright eyes are peering at her from the sea grass? Whose laughter does she hear? Could it be a new friend? Mermaid Dreams will delight the youngest daydreamers and shows us that making new friends may not be as hard as you think — if you have a good imagination! ~ African – Preschool

Bubble Kisses
by Vanessa Williams

A young girl’s goldfish, Sal, is no ordinary pet: while she can’t fetch a ball or curl up on a lap, she can give bubble kisses that transform the girl into a mermaid and transport her to a world of underwater adventures. There, beneath the sea, they play, sing, and dance with other mermaids. Bubble Kisses is a catchy rhymed, perfect for bedtime. Includes a CD plus a link to a digital download. ~ African – Preschool

Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I’m Zari
by Lois Petren

Meet Zari, a Black mermaid and one of the Five Enchanted Mermaids! Her best friend is an oyster named Pearl and her favourite colour is purple. She lives with her mermaid sisters in an undersea kingdom called Atargatis where they have lots of sea creature friends. Each of the five mermaids has a special skill that they use to help their friends. Zari is the most independent and self-reliant of the mermaids. Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I’m Zari encourages young children to learn about all the fun things they can do, if they’re willing to try. Zari speaks directly to the young readers, helps calm their fears and breaks it all down by showing them other kids, just like them, who are trying new things. ~ African – Preschool

Also available: Mermaid Plush Doll Zari with Carry Bag

Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deeps
by Charlotte Watson Sherman

When Kenzie slips on her mermaid tail, she becomes Mermaid Kenzie, protector of the deeps. One day as Kenzie snorkels around a shipwreck, she discovers more plastic bags than fish. Grabbing her spear and mermaid net, she begins to clean up the water and the shore–inspiring other kids to help. Beautifully written Mermaid Kenzie celebrates the ways that all of us, no matter how small, can make a difference. Back matter includes information about how plastic winds up in our oceans and examples of people–some of them kids, like Kenzie–who have worked to protect the sea. ~ African – Preschool

The Little Mermaid (Once Upon a World)
by Hannah Eliot

A little mermaid longs to know about the world above the ocean. When she’s finally old enough to visit, she falls in love with a prince. A sea witch agrees to give the mermaid a potion that will make her human—but the spell will be broken if the prince doesn’t love her too. Set in the Caribbean, with beautiful illustrations by Puerto Rican illustrator Nivea Ortiz, The Little Mermaid is a vibrant Caribbean spin on the classic fairy tale. ~ African – Preschool

The Grumpy Mermaid
by Mesha Cameron

Meet Rose, a beautiful mermaid who lives under the sea and is as bossy as can be! She always tells her friends what to do. Her friends try their best to do what she demands, but how can you have fun when commanded? One day, Rose encounters a mysterious creature who is determined to help her change her ways. Will Rose leave her controlling ways behind? With funny rhymes and vivid illustrations, The Grumpy Mermaid is an enchanting and entertaining story that teaches kids a valuable lesson about kindness and friendship. ~ African – Preschool

Julián Is a Mermaid
by Jessica Love

While riding the subway home with his Abuela one day, Julián is fascinated by three women spectacularly dressed up as mermaids. When he gets home, he makes his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think? Vibrantly illustrated, Julián is a Mermaid is a heart-warming celebration of self-love, individuality and acceptance. ~ Hispanic – Preschool

Oona // Oona and the Shark // Oona in the Arctic
by Kelly DiPucchio

Meet Oona, a brave little mermaid who loves special treasure and big adventures – and often ends up in big trouble! Whether hunting for treasure with her best friend Otto, trying to make friends with Stanley the shark, or helping a lost baby beluga whale, Oona is always on a mission in these wonderfully watery tales of friendship, creativity and perseverance. Our favourite Black mermaid books for preschoolers! ~ African – Preschool

Elementary School

The Little Mermaid
by Jerry Pinkney

Melody, the littlest sea princess, is not content just to sing in the choir of mermaids like her sisters. She is an explorer who wonders about what lies above the water’s surface . . . especially the young girl she has spied from a distance. To meet her requires a terrible sacrifice: she trades her beautiful voice for a potion that gives her legs, so that she may live on land instead. It seems like a dream come true at first. But when trouble stirs beneath the ocean, Melody faces another impossible choice — stay with her friend, or reclaim her true identity and save her family. The Little Mermaid is a captivating reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic about friendship and redemption. ~ African – Elementary School

What’s the Commotion in the Ocean?
by Nyasha Williams

A mermaid has a message for the earth about our seas and oceans, and she requires your help. Find out what is happening with our oceans and what we can do to save them. What’s the Commotion in the Ocean? is a rhyming children’s book reflecting on the current happenings in the ocean and what we can do to help. ~ African – Elementary School

Mermaid Dreams: A little girl’s undersea journey with the Ocean Goddess Yemaya
by Janet Lucy

Maya dreams of being a mermaid. She dances to Caribbean music in her favorite skirt her mama made of seven tiers of turquoise net. She dives for shiny coins in the pool at the park and can float on her back forever. But Maya also has nightmares and ocean fears. One night, mama tells her the legend of her namesake, Yemaya, the Goddess of the Ocean. Yemaya comes to Maya in a dream, taking her on an undersea journey. Mermaid Dreams illuminates the universal dreams and fears of children, offering new ways to find courage and comfort, inner power and peace. ~ African – Elementary School

Sukey and the Mermaid
by Robert D. San Souci

Sukey’s new step-pa is a mean, bossy man she calls “Mister Hard-Times.” He makes her work in his garden all day and Sukey’s ma doesn’t seem to care. One day, when her step-pa isn’t looking, Sukey takes her chance to run away to her secret hiding place by the sea. There, she meets Mama Jo, a beautiful Black mermaid. Mama Jo’s got a surprise for Sukey: a magical kingdom beneath the sea without time or pain. But there are also no people. Is it really better than the world above? Sukey and the Mermaid is a lushly told and luminously illustrated Coretta Scott King Honor–winning picture book. ~ African – Elementary School

Battle of the Best Friends (Mermaid Tales)
by Debbie Dadey

Echo, Shelly Siren’s best friend, is doing tail flips because she’s going to see the hottest boy band around—The Rays! It’s her classmate Pearl’s birthday, and the Rays are going to perform at her exclusive party. Troublemaker Pearl has invited just about everyone—everyone, that is, except Shelly! Shelly urges Echo to go anyway, but Echo doesn’t want to leave her friend out of the exciting celebration…so Shelly hatches a plan to make sure Echo sees her favourite group. And when the Rays do come to town, Echo returns the favour so that Shelly is included in the festivities—in the most unexpected of ways! Part of the Mermaid Tales series, Battle of the Best Friends is a splashy story about friendship. ~ African – Elementary School

A Tale of Two Sisters (Mermaid Tales)
by Debbie Dadey

Echo is tired of having to share everything with her bossy big sister, Crystal. So she’s excited when she stumbles upon a shiny human object near her shell. Finally, something of her very own. Could it be something totally wavy, like a music-making machine? What if it’s something that could allow her to actually talk to humans? Before she can find out, Crystal swipes the object, claiming she found it first. After the mergirls duke it out in a messy tug of war, their mother takes the object away. “You’ll get this back when you can learn to get along,” she tells them. But that’s easier said than done. Part of the Mermaid Tales series, A Tale of Two Sisters is a light-hearted mermaid book about sibling rivalry. ~ African – Elementary School

Ellie and the Secret Potion: Mermaid S.O.S.
by Gillian Shields

Just when Ellie and the other mermaids are safely on their way back to Coral Kingdom, the evil mermaid Mantora is brewing trouble again, this time causing an oil spill in the ocean. It’s up to Ellie to find a very special ingredient for a potion that could save her fellow mermaids and other sea creatures from Mantora’s evil handiwork. Ellie and the Secret Poison is the second book in a fun series about a group of mermaids who live in the underwater Coral Kingdom. They have been sent on an important mission by their queen, Neptuna, and the fate of their fellow mermaids depends on their success. Through their adventures, the mermaids learn about friendship, teamwork, and protecting the ocean and its inhabitants. ~ African – Elementary School

Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales
by Virginia Hamilton

Gracefully told by Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton, Her Stories is a collection of 19 stories focuses on the magical lore and wondrous imaginings of Black women. Vibrant paintings by Caldecott Medallists Leo and Diane Dillon glow with the drama and mystery of each tale while reflecting the warmth and beauty of the people who first told them. ~ African – Elementary School

Middle School

Rise of the Jumbies
by Tracy Baptiste

Corinne LaMer defeated the wicked jumbie Severine months ago, but things haven’t exactly gone back to normal in her Caribbean island home. Everyone knows Corinne is half-jumbie, and many of her neighbours treat her with mistrust. When local children begin to go missing, snatched from the beach and vanishing into wells, suspicious eyes turn to Corinne. To rescue the missing children and clear her own name, Corinne goes deep into the ocean to find Mama D’Leau, the dangerous jumbie who rules the sea. But Mama D’Leau’s help comes with a price. Corinne and her friends Dru, Bouki, and Malik must travel with mermaids across the ocean to fetch a powerful object for Mama D’Leau. The only thing more perilous than Corinne’s adventures across the sea is the jumbie that waits for her back home. Full of action and inventive twists on Caribbean and West African mythology, Rise of the Jumbies is a breathlessly exciting tale of courage and friendship. ~ African – Middle School

Bayou Magic
by Jewell Parker Rhodes

It’s city-girl Maddy’s first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings – the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family’s magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Bayou Magic is a magical coming-of-age story rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist. ~ African – Middle School

Josephine Against the Sea
by Shakirah Bourne

11-year-old Josephine makes a habit of scaring her dad’s new girlfriends away. She’s desperate to make it onto her school’s cricket team so she can use the cricket matches to distract Daddy from dating. But when the coach announces that girls can’t try out for the team, Josephine angrily cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life . . . The next day, Daddy brings home a beautiful woman named Mariss who, unlike the other girlfriends, doesn’t scare easily. Josephine knows there’s something fishy about Mariss but she never expected her to be a vengeful sea creature eager to take her place as her father’s first love! Can Josephine save Daddy from Mariss’s clutches before it’s too late? Josephine Against The Sea is a magical, heartfelt adventure inspired by Caribbean mythology. ~ African – Middle School

A Comb of Wishes
by Lisa Stringfellow

Ever since her mother’s death, Kela feels every bit as broken as the shards of glass, known as “mermaid’s tears,” that sparkle on the Caribbean beaches of St. Rita. So when Kela and her friend Lissy stumble across an ancient-looking comb in a coral cave, with all she’s already lost, Kela can’t help but bring home her very own found treasure. Far away, deep in the cold ocean, the mermaid Ophidia can feel that her comb has been taken. And despite her hatred of all humans, her magic requires that she make a bargain: the comb in exchange for a wish. But what Kela wants most is for her mother to be alive. And a wish that big will exact an even bigger price… Set against the backdrop of Caribbean folklore, A Comb of Wishes is a spellbinding middle grade debut about a grieving girl and a vengeful mermaid. ~ African – Middle School

Mami Wata
by Leila Vrhel

Yara, a yooung Seychelloise girl, embarks on a journey to find her mother, the legendary water spirit, Mami Wata. She not only finds her mother, but the spiritual strength inside to rescue her entire people from slavery. Mami Wata is a powerful folktale full of hope and triumph. ~ African – Middle School

High School

A Song Below Water: A Novel
by Bethany C. Morrow

In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers. Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school’s junior year. But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment. Set against the challenges of today’s racism and sexism, A Song Below Water is an enthralling modern fantasy about Black mermaids, friendship, and self-discovery. ~ African – High School

The Deep
by Rivers Solomon

Yetu holds the memories for her people-water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African women thrown overboard by slave owners-who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one-the historian. Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities-and discovers a world her people left behind long ago. Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past-and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories and their identity. The Deep is a brilliant novel inspired by the song ‘The Deep’ from Daveed Diggs’s rap group clipping. ~ African – High School

Skin of the Sea
by Natasha Bowen

Simi serves the gods as a Mami Wata, a Black mermaid collecting the souls of those who die at sea. But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and saves his life. To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . . Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it. Skin of the Sea is the first book in an epic Black mermaid fantasy series in which one mermaid takes on the gods themselves. ~ African – High School

Siren’s Call (Siren Series Book 1)
by Jessica Cage

A siren for a mother, a warlock for a father, and a family tree that wants her dead… Snatched off the street and drugged, Syrinada wakes strapped to a bed with a predator in the next room. At that moment, a side of her, she never knew existed emerges. While relieved to be free, she finds herself plagued by questions she can’t answer. When Malachi—a longtime friend—witnesses her tapping into this unknown power, he steps in to help. Soon she realizes he knows far more about her heritage than he lets on. After diving into secrets of the past, mounting truths of fin and scales challenge everything Syrinada thought she knew. Despite Malachi’s warning to stay hidden, the call of her newfound heritage is a strong one. Can Syrinada deny her welling urges? Or will the ravenous darkness closing in consume her? Siren’s Call is a sizzling Black mermaid book teenagers will love. ~ African – High School

Mother of the Sea
by Zetta Elliott

When her village is raided, a teenage girl finds herself on a brutal journey to the coast of Africa and across the Atlantic. Her only comfort is a small child who clings to her for protection. But once they board the slave ship, the child reveals her rebellious nature and warns that her mother–a fierce warrior–is coming to claim them all. Beautifully written, Mother of the Sea is a haunting Black Mermaid book that teenagers fill find unputdownable. ~ African – High School

Trouble the Waters: Tales from the Deep Blue
by Sheree R. Thomas

Trouble the Waters gathers the tidal force of bestselling, renowned writers from Lagos to New Orleans, Memphis to Copenhagen, Northern Ireland and London, offering extraordinary speculative fiction tales of ancient waters in all its myriad forms. Meet techno savvy water spirits, bayou saints and sirens, robots and river rootwomen, a pod of joyful space whales, and a castle of water-born terrors and mysteries. Including work by Nalo Hopkinson, Jaquira Diaz, Andrea Hairston, Linda D. Addison, Rion Amilcar Scott, Marie Vibbert, Maurice Broaddus, and other breakout beautiful voices, these stories and poems celebrate the most vital of elemental forces, water. ~ African – High School

The Perfect Waters: Odessa
by LeeSha McCoy

For the waters to be perfect, an Odessa must connect to all life within them, and if the reigning Odessa loses her life, her sorcery is always passed to her first-born daughter. Only, the daughter the waters know of, is not the first. Asia’s mother went missing 18 years ago and since then, Asia has feared the one thing she always dreamt of working with: the ocean. So instead, she’s been living life as a lab tech. She doesn’t exactly love her job, but it pays the bills and she has money to spend on nights out with her girls. However, her most recent night out ends up with her gaining markings on her skin and losing body parts… The Perfect Waters: Odessa is a mesmerizing story about a Black mermaid, a prince, a thousand-year-old blue whale, and the race against time to find the single most important thing to the waters’ survival. ~ African – High School

The Mermaid of Black Conch: A novel
by Monique Roffey

Near the island of Black Conch, a fisherman sings to himself while waiting for a catch. But David attracts a sea-dweller that he never expected – Aycayia, an innocent young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid. When American tourists capture Aycayia, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. Slowly, painfully, she transforms into a woman again. Yet as their love grows, they discover that the world around them is changing – and they cannot escape the curse for ever… Escape to the ocean with The Mermaid of Black Conch, the entrancing, unforgettable winner of the Costa Book of the Year – as read on BBC Radio 4. ~ African – High School