Looking for a very old childrens book (involving merpeople)

[roamingmer]

Having just introduced myself elsewhere; I wonder if some merpeople could help with a mini-quest I have been on for years. As a child I was a prolific reader, having read the entire (primary) school library of books by age 7. This would have been by 1982/1983. One book has always stuck in my mind... and was my first introduction to Merpeople... but I cant find it.

From memory the story involved two children (Topsy and Tim? Or Rosie and ???). The children (or young girl?) enters a tunnel into a mountain (or cliff side). Inside is a pool of sea water with merpeople swimming happily. There is a feeling that a storm was coming, but as it was about 30 years ago it is hard to recollect everything. The story text would have been on the left hand side; and the picture of the pool on the right.

The book would have been published in England, possibly in the late 1970's or early 1980's (it was not new when I read it). However I have never been able to work out the title - or remember the rest of the story. It is something I would love to be able to do... so does anyone else out there have a recollection of this book (or similar?).

Thanks, RS

[Blondie]

Was it possibly "The Search for Delicious"?

[roamingmer]

Thanks for the link but the book seems more aimed at older age and does not ring a bell but I will check further

[SilverSiren]

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42573.The_Water_Babies

Maybe?

[SilverSiren]

or this?

http://www.amazon.com/Hansys-Mermaid-Trinka-Hakes-Noble/dp/0803736053

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

or this?

http://www.amazon.com/Hansys-Mermaid-Trinka-Hakes-Noble/dp/0803736053


I own a copy of Hansy's Mermaid (it is one of my favorites). Hansy does have sisters (three of them) but they area always removed from him, they're not "two children," and they are actually rather banal, while Hansy is understanding and sympathetic and gentle to the mermaid. There are also no mountains or cliff sides (the setting, Lowland Holland, is actually all below sea level, with rolling countryside, and the mermaid is washed onto land and found in a large puddle). There is only one mermaid who appears in the body of the story (though there is a picture of mermaids and mermen when she tells Hansy tales of her life in the sea, but again, no mountains or cliff sides). A storm is coming (one that sweeps the mermaid back out to sea, safely) but it takes a year to arrive, and the pictures and text are interchanged and mixed, not one on one page and the other on the other. Therefore, it seems unlikely that it is the book roamingstudio is looking for.

[roamingmer]

Thanks joy&... I was pretty sure it was not right.
was doing another search and this image ccaught my eye.http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-little-mermaid-coloring-book-hans-christian-andersen/1000098991?ean=9780486271309
certainly not the right book, but the style of drawing is strikingly familiar and I'm pretty sure it is something I saw years ago. Barnes have good search for keywords, and list oldest to newest. Still too many Disney books though