Kallie George’s The Melancholic Mermaid, an original fairy tale written and illustrated as elegantly as a classic one, is about being cast out and bullied, and the search to find someone who understands you. Initially, the story seems to hew closely to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. While Andersen’s young misfit Ariel longs to live on land, George’s young misfit Maude longs to fit in at home. Born with two tails, Maude -endures endless teasing by the other mer-children, similar to the way Ariel is mocked for her obsession with the human world.

But whereas The Little Mermaid is a love story, this new fairy tale is one of friendship: Maude, captured by a fisherman and caged in the circus, befriends fellow outcast Tony, a young human boy with webbed fingers. The story of Maude and Tony’s attempts to escape from the circus (as well as their own pain) is told through both characters’ perspectives. Their peers may mock them, but the two are, at their cores, just regular children longing to fit in.

The whimsical writing style and beautiful illustrations blend perfectly. Illustrator Abigail Halpin deftly depicts all of the book’s settings, and the greatly detailed under-water images truly immerse the reader in this fantastic world. Make room next to The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. The Melancholic Mermaid deserves a spot on every child’s bookshelf.