Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D San Souci

Sukey and the Mermaid

By: Robert D. San Souci Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Image Credit: SUKEY AND THE MERMAID at simonandschuster.com

1. Bibliography

San Souci, Robert D. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney.  SUKEY AND THE MERMAID. New York: First Aladdin Paperback, 1996. ISBN 9780689807183

2. Plot Summary

Sukey's new step-pa is a mean, bossy man. Every day Sukey wakes at dawn to work in the garden. All her step-pa ever does is watch her and yell if she so much as stops to fan herself. Sukey's ma calls him Mister Jones. Sukey prefers the name "Mister Hard-Times." So one day, Sukey runs away to her secret place by the ocean. There, she calls up 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 it's also without people. Is it really better than the world above? (Summary Credit: SUKEY AND THE MERMAID at simonandschuster.com)

3. Critical Analysis

The characters of Sukey and the Mermaid (Mama Jo) are well drawn and you feel for the experiences of Sukey and her hard times.  The description of her run-down cabin, hard chores and lazy abusive step-father show Sukey’s plight.  The use of language including words and phrases such as ‘oncet upon a time’, step-pa, skylarking, ‘sling her hoe’, won’t do a lick’ give an indication to Sukey’s economic status and region of the country in which she lives.  Sukey’s clothing such as her wide straw hat and the kerchief wound around her head are also indications of the culture in which she lives.  The balance between the good (Mama Jo) and evil (her step-pa) are well balanced, although her stepfather is only sketchily drawn.

Sukey lives in South Carolina on the coast.  It is difficult to tell the time period although you get the impression that it is in the past by the description of the cabin and Sukey’s dress.  The environment is well drawn and portrayed by the description the plants (palmetto, mossy oak) and the surrounding area (dunes, white sand, water).

There are several cultural markers; the primary of these is the language.  Sukey and the narrator’s dialect show her culture.  Also, there are poetic verses used throughout that incorporate the rhythm of the language/dialect used.  The description and illustration clearly show how the social-economic situation in which she lives.  It is clear that there are gender roles.  Sukey’s step-pa is the patriarch and Sukey and her mother are expected to live within his rules.  The author explains, in the afterward, that the story is based on one of the few African-American folktales that include mermaids.  The story is similar to the Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg.  Is it best to have one coin every day or to hunt the mermaid who gives you the coin?  Because slaves were not allowed to read and write, a rich oral tradition developed.  Sukey and the Mermaid was one of the tales passed down orally before it was ever written down. And, stories were often told in verse in order to make them easier to memorize.  Thus, the verses included in the tale are in keeping with that oral tradition.

The illustrations also show cultural markers in the clothing and hairstyle of Sukey and her mother.  The textiles used are colorful woven patterns and Sukey’s hair is worn in a braid, both common in the culture.  The illustrations are done in a style called scratchboard which appears like the old game we used to play in making a drawing, covering it in black ink and then scratching away to reveal the color underneath.  This works especially well to show the swirling of the ocean, wind and blowing of textiles included in the story.

           

4. Review Experts

~Coretta Scott King Honor (1993)

~KIRKUS REVIEW (February 1992): "A careful note explains that this eventful, richly complex story was based on a folktale from the Sea Islands of South Carolina, as well as on Caribbean and West African sources. Pinkney's delicately tinted scratchboard illustrations are his best yet; the many fine lines swirl through the dramatic black ground, catching the sea's luminous glow and softening the sturdy figures with diaphanous garments. An unusually handsome presentation of an appealing tale. "

5. Connections

~Compare and contrast Sukey and the Mermaid to other culture’s Cinderella stories

            Climo, Shirley.  Illustrated by Ruth Heller. Egyptian Cinderella. ISBN 0064432793

Climo, Shirley.  Illustrated by Ruth Heller. The Korean Cinderella.  ISBN 0064433978

            Martin, Rafe.  Illustrated by David Shannon.  Rough-Faced Girl. ISBN 0698116267

~Read other stories by Robert D San Souci

            Illustrated by Raul Colon.  A Weave of Words. ISBN 9780531300534

            Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. The Talking Eggs. ISBN 9780803706194

            Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure. ISBN 0689848501

~Read other books illustrated by Brian Pinkney

San Souci, Robert D. The Faithful Friend. ISBN 9780689824586

San Souci, Robert D. Cut from the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend and Tall Tale. ISBN 0698118111

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. ISBN 0786814209