The Water and the Wild

Mermaid street art in Forest Hill, South East London. A long way from the sea but just down the road from the swimming pool. This was apparently painted by Brazilian street artist Derlon Almeida (the scrawl on her belly obviously a later addition), linked to a Brazilian culture exhibition in 2016 at the nearby Horniman Museum. Derlon's mermaid has appeared elsewhere - this one is from an exhibition at Villa Zapakara in Surinam: Photo from Gypsy Soul Diaries Mural in Recife, Brazil Mural in Newcastle, England

Written by Janet Bassett-Lowke and illustrated by Lunt Roberts, our copy is undated but was seemingly published in 1946 by Puffin, the children’s imprint of Penguin books.