This is almost exactly what it says on the tin with just a bit more thrown in. It is a field guide to mermaids, but also a guide to what animals and plants live in different water (ponds, lakes, marshes, rivers, oceans, deep sea, etc.) and how pollution, global warming, and general human interference are changing the world we live in.

A good introduction for kids to nature and conservation while adding in mermaids to make it even more fun and exciting. Having questions for kids to ask and think about as they read each section, as a way for them to think about the actual environments that exist was also something I liked in making it scientific + fantasy. The way it brings together fiction and nonfiction is fascinating. This is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a kid (and loved now as an adult) and I wish we had it now for our Summer Reading Program since the theme is Oceans of Possibilities.

The added table at the back so you could discover what kind of mermaid you would be (I got a Flatwater River mermaid) was an added fun activity as well.

I also thought the way that mermaids that could inhabit the area near the Mariana's Trench were very cool, having just read Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (not a book I would recommend to children, but do recommend for adults who like a horror take on mermaids), they were very close to how I would have pictured the "mermaids" in that book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

I aboslutely loved this book! It was really impressed with the way the author combined the magic of mermaids with knowledge of the natural world. The art was quite beautiful. I'd definitely recommend it to mermaid loving kids!