Atana and the Jade Mermaid
HarperAlley, 2025
Middle Grade
Atana may be one step closer to discovering her past, but it didn’t come without a cost. Though the mermaid and her companions—Ren, the last known firebird, and Cosmos, her witch guard-turned-friend—narrowly escaped the Witch Queen, time is running short. They may have foiled the Queen’s plans to use Ren to revive their world’s broken magic cycle, but Ren is still growing weaker by the minute…
Atana and Cosmos are determined to help their friend recover, but Ren’s priorities are elsewhere. After discovering that the firebirds of old are responsible for destroying the flow of magic for all beings, she is determined to right her people’s wrongs.
When Atana resolves to join this quest, her past—lurking deep below the seas—threatens to destroy not only their friendship but also their very chance at restoring the balance of magic itself. After a lifetime of dreaming of finding a home below the water, is Atana willing to leave behind everything she’s fought for on land?
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“Zhou proves equally adept at depicting moments of drama and repose in harmonious shapes and colors as her figures, many in flowing robes, comport themselves with lively grace while passing through and between realms both mundane and mystical in the fluidly sequenced panels. A lively, lovely finish.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This book stands out with its phenomenal illustrations and life-affirming messages.” — School Library Journal
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French edition available from Bayard Jeunesse.
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With support from Canada Council For the Arts.