Working with multiple versions of a text such as The Little Mermaid has a number of advantages. The original Hans Christian Andersen story is a pre-twentieth century text, but one which

  • has been recycled in numerous remediations and adaptations in a range of different media at varying levels of complexity, thus offering comparative material for a wide range of abilities;
  • has undergone the full Disney treatment, including spin-off merchandising, re-adaptation for audio-cassette packaging, and marketing of the full music sound-track. It thus offers opportunities for pupils to engage with marketing and publicity processes;
  • could be linked thematically to a range of other topics such as fantasy, childhood, narrative poetry, myths, legends, and so on.