Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Jane is plain, and everyone tells her so: her parents, the villagers, and the cousin who throws her out of her own house. With nowhere secure to stand, she settles on a practical plan. She will propose to Peter, a prince, and win some independence that way.

The plan falls apart before she can try it, because a mermaid kidnaps Peter. Jane, who is only maybe his fiancée at this point, has to go after him and descend into the sea.

Beneath the surface she meets beautiful mysteries and dangerous creatures. Nothing in her life has suggested she is the person to deal with either, and the story keeps asking what an ordinary girl can do in a place like that.

This is a graphic novel for younger readers that turns familiar fairy tale expectations upside down. It mixes a rescue quest with a comic, wry streak, and Jane's self-doubt drives the adventure from the first pages. It has won an Eisner Award.