We Can Be Mermaids
An uplifting and empowering story about the joy of swimming and following our dreams.
Silver has loved swimming since her very first lesson and dreams of one day becoming... a MERMAID!
There's just one problem: her dad can't swim.
They bake mermaid-tail cupcakes together, build mermaid caves and read underwater stories, but he can't join her in the pool like the other dads.
Silver worries she'll have to give up on her dream and quit swimming - how can she possibly leave her dad behind when she's a mermaid?!
But one day, Dad has a surprise for her, one that will help Silver to see that she should never give up on her mermaid dreams...
Swimming should be for everyone, but it's reported that 95% of Black adults and 80% of Black children in the UK cannot swim.
This important and joyful story demonstrates the freedom and excitement of swimming, empowering little ones to pursue their passions without fear.
Written by swimming (and mermaid!) enthusiast Lanisha Butterfield with stunning artwork by Raissa Figueroa.
Lanisha Butterfield (Author)
Lanisha Butterfield is a lifelong book junkie, who published her first picture book in June 2024.
Her quiet ambition of becoming an author - long-held and nurtured with lunchtime trips to the local bookshop - was realised during the Covid lockdown, with a serendipitous decision to join an online Penguin Children's Book Workshop.
Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)
Raissa Figueroa is a Coretta Scott King Honor-winning illustrator and graphic designer based in San Diego, California, USA. Her art graces picture books such as Princess Unlimited by Jacob Sager Weinstein, and Oona by Kelly DiPucchio.