{Guest post from Jackie Bunn and Lois Petren}

Co-founders of The Five Enchanted Mermaids, Jackie Bunn and Lois Petren, have been friends for over 35 years.

This dynamic duo met in Princeton, N.J. back in the early 1980s. In spite of their different backgrounds, the two women hit it off and soon discovered that they had quite a few things in common.  Besides a shared love of cooking, travel, working in New York City, and exercise, they were both married, had careers, and each had a couple of children. As the years progressed, Lois and Jackie’s life experiences and geographic locations changed, but the thread of friendship always connected the two across the miles.

After deciding to leave her job in a major financial services firm to be more available to her kids during their elementary school days, Jackie shared that she started a small business in 2017 selling party supply products online. It was during that time that she noticed a glaring gap in what was available to families of color when it came to party supplies.

“As my business grew, I noticed the lack of diversity in children’s party products. The images on party products simply did not reflect the real world.  I saw this both as an opportunity but also as something that was important to address. Why shouldn’t children be able to celebrate their birthdays with characters that looked like them with similar skin colors?  My research had shown that children loved mermaids and unicorns and so I decided to commission a unique design – a racially diverse group of five mermaids who were best friends. This was the birth of the “Five Enchanted Mermaids.”

Seeing the potential and need for this innovative line of products, Jackie reached out to her long-time friend, Lois, for help bringing The Five Enchanted Mermaid to life. Lois had recently retired from a career in IT with a major company and had been busying herself writing children’s books and had six published titles under the “Lulu and Lainey” series to her credit.

“Jackie had the idea to develop the personalities and character of each mermaid and she contacted me to see if I would be interested in a collaboration to write books featuring the group,” Lois recalled. “I enthusiastically said ‘yes’ and with that we worked together to ‘personalize’ each of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, naming them and building their personalities, likes and dislikes and especially important to the books, their unique superpower, which they could use to help children ages 3-7 at this important socio-emotional development stage.

Jackie and Lois shared that they live their values and commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion and they continue to believe that when children see a world where all people are accepted they will grow into adults who believe the same. The goal of the Five Enchanted Mermaids series is to model inclusiveness and create a world where everyone is heard, accepted, and respected.

When asked what they were most proud of with their vibrant books, dolls,  and party supplies, this is what the two businesswomen had to say:

Jackie:

I love – and am most proud of – the fact that our customers are drawn to our unique message on diversity and living in today’s real multiethnic world. The books and products based on the Five Enchanted Mermaids promote values of inclusion and self-esteem, which the world certainly needs today more than ever. In fact, our motto is: “We believe that every child deserves a mermaid that looks like them!” We even have a hashtag we use in marketing which is “#mermaidlikeme as well as #fiveenchantedmermaids. Our customers have thanked us for offering products that reflect the race of their child, or their child’s friends or family members.

In addition to loving the very cute mermaid characters and their underwater friends, adult readers of our books appreciate that we present age-appropriate valuable lessons for their children that are gentle conversation starters. In one of our recent books, Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I’m Sofia!, readers are introduced to Sofia, a Hispanic mermaid who teaches children about the benefits of honesty (her superpower!) and conversely the consequences of lying. Other books teach about courage, kindness, confidence, and independence.

Lois:

We started with a Coloring/Activity book, which was quickly followed by the first series of three picture books addressing three aspects of “growing up” for 3-7-year-olds – overcoming obstacles, having a birthday party, and experiencing a first day at school.  The second series Meet the Mermaids focuses on each mermaid, her personality, and her “super skill.” As Jackie mentioned this teaches the child in a fun way and through the power of example.

Developing and creating these stories is like painting with ideas.  As I write a book, I am envisioning the best way for the images to portray the story I’ve written. To connect our overarching philosophy of inclusiveness with the storyline and childhood development, it’s key to portray human children of many races and colors doing things together.  We want the child reader to see themselves in our books.  Successfully translating these ideas onto the page provides a lot of satisfaction, especially when we get feedback from customers and readers that shows our message resonates with them.

The Five Enchanted Mermaids Promoting Diversity in Children’s Books, Party Supplies and Gifts

Jackie and Lois also shared that another favorite element in the world of the Five Enchanted Mermaids is the artwork used on the products and in the books. The jewel-tone colors of the mermaids’ tails and tops against all their different skin tones, set in the gorgeous turquoise of the undersea world and creatures of Atargatis, work together to create an enchanting story and feel.

As the Five Enchanted Mermaid brand has grown, the two friends have expanded their product line to compliment the books. Included in their catalog are gorgeous look-alike mermaid plush dolls that encourage role-playing and imagination for all ages.

The books and dolls can be purchased together, or sold separately and have been very well received by gift-buyers and parents.

Also included is a wide variety of delightful party supplies for all ages and budgets.

All products are available via the Five Enchanted Mermaid online Amazon store www.amazon.com/fiveenchantedmermaids

“It has been a great journey so far and makes us so happy when our mermaids bring joy to a child! Stay tuned for more books, gifts, and party products featuring the beautiful Five Enchanted Mermaids!”

Five Enchanted Mermaid Freebies

Parents, Caregivers, and Educators can sign up to receive updates on new product and book releases as well as special promotions and coupons at www.fiveenchantedmermaids.com/freebies

Connect with Lois, Jackie, and the Five Enchanted Mermaids via their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.