The Mermaid Atlas

What a beautiful gift for young mermaid or mythology lovers! The delightful illustrations offset the stories, fact files, and descriptions in this book full of mermaid info from around the world.
You can find out about many different cultures' interpretations of mermaids and the history of this mysterious phenomenon.
I think children aged 4+ would enjoy reading this with an adult, and kids aged 7-14 would be enthralled reading alone.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Mermaid Atlas is a non-fiction picture book for kids.

It's hard to believe that publishers have managed to create a non-fiction title on creatures that are entirely fictional, but here it is! And splendidly done.

This 48-page picture book feels like a fun geography, global cultures, and mythological literatures course rolled into one. The author has organized the material by region, giving short summaries of the mermaid mythology of the cultures there. I found this title to be a compelling read for myself and my kids whom I homeschool. It kept their fascination the entire time and served as a tour through several faraway countries. As an introduction to the folklore in places like Fiji, Japan, and India - places where I'm sure there are mermaid stories that are inaccessible to young American kids - this title is wonderful for providing that multi-cultural lens on a topic that apparently holds universal interest.

I enjoyed breaking out of the typical Hans Christian Andersen "Little Mermaid" narrative popular in the West, as well as the dominating narrative in our popular culture as commercialized by Disney's Little Mermaid. Thank you to NetGalley and Lawrence King Publishing for providing me an advanced review copy.

This is such a beautiful book.
I need to buy it on paper because I absolutely fell in love.

The illustrations are gorgeous and hey it is about mermaids and all those beautiful story's and legends about mermaids from all around the world a super.

So thanks for letting me read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I WANT TO HOLD THIS BOOK IN MY HANDS.

Normally, I'm fine with (and prefer!) digital editions for a variety of reasons. But I want to physically own this book. It looks like it should be over-sized and that heavy, textured paper, and smell like a new book.

I'm a mermaid enthusiast, but I hadn't heard of so many of these! I know it's a children's book, but I loved the little snippets of information on each type and that they were divided by region, and usually included a bit of the history. The little bonus sections--mermaid houses, mermaid magic, etc.--were an extra bit of fun.

And the illustrations are GORGEOUS. The style is child-friendly, yet also elegantly beautiful. And the artist made the scary mermaids creepy, but not terrifying for children.

I'll definitely be ordering myself a copy of this! I know I'll be flipping through it frequently!

Really wonderful illustrations!! It's well laid out, and the story flows nicely whether it's a single page spread or the little stories across both pages. The stories themselves are really well balanced between a non-fiction and fairytale vibe. I knew about some of these stories but there were a lot I didn't -- I had a really great time reading and learning about more mermaids! I also really like that instead of focusing on just one area, the book moved around the planet (and even space which is awesome). The informational pages were nice dividers, giving readers a break between some of the areas. It was good to have a bookend to the sections.

I absolutely love this book and it would be a great addition for my classroom collection. Beautiful illustrations and very informative, loved it!

This book is absolutely amazing, it is beautiful and packed with fabulous myths and legends about mermaids. To encourage mermaid obsessed children to read this is perfect, my son loved it as well as the stories were interesting,
I highly recommend and will be ordering copies for both school and library.

Mermaids are seducting creatures, with heavenly voice that mirrors that of an angel, who enchant humans; or they’re terrible, gruesome creatures who terrify them. Divergence in the accounts of their appearance aside, it’s undeniable they’re part of the world’s culture and history. To quote the book itself, “Wherever there’s water, there are stories”.

This little atlas gathers those stories, legends and folklore of merfolk from all corners of the world. They’re divided by region: Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America and South America. There’s also little sections about ancient mermaids, sightings, mermaid magic and more.

This is not just an archive on mermaids though, it contains sirens, selkies, water spirits and deities. They’re women turned fish, they’re sea royalty, masters of waves and storms, protectors and guardians, warm-hearted beings who help locals or vengeful and a threat to anyone who crosses their path. They can be found in palaces deep in the ocean, or watery caves or sunken abandoned ships, or even on land when they shapeshift from their form with scales to one with two human legs.

It’s obvious it took a lot of research to write this book even though it’s extremely short. I feel like they tried their best to be respectful and include varying cultures. I was so happy to see Yemọjá, the Mother of Orishas from Yoruba religion, mentioned! I grew up in Umbanda, a Brazilian religion heavily inspired by Yoruba, and Iemanjá, as we call her here, has always been an important presence in my life. It was only fair the Orisha of all body of waters had her place amongst these water beings. She is, after all, mother of all.

It’s astonishing that there are so many different tales of half fish, half human creatures. From the ancient greek myth of the Nereids, and the ancient Syrian moon goddess Atargatis whose grief made her fall all the way from the sky into the sea and turn mermaid, the kind fabric-waving mermaids in China to hideous human fish in Japan that turned a girl almost-immortal when she ate them, and mysterious shapeshifting sea-people from Northern Australia that can never be depicted in any form or image.

We have no clue about what creatures lay under the waves. Water has always been a center of mystery for us, and it will be for years and years to come. We might not succeed in our search, but it doesn’t matter. Humanity will continue to explore the oceans and deep waters, and who’s to say what we might find? But one thing is for certain, all these tales show us that the not knowing might be a gift in itself.

My local mermaid legend (Iara) was the last to be mentioned so I finished the reading with a big smile on my face. Though I do believe that should be the general reaction whether your country is Brazil or not. All thanks to the beyond gorgeous illustrations by Miren Asiain Lora that gave the book an unique and warm quality to it. I spent such long a time analysing her detailed and thoughtful art, they’re bewitching as mermaids should be. I highly reccomend this book for all its elements.

Even though Mermaid Atlas is about mythical and folkloric beings, it gave me a newfound love for humanity and storytelling. Is there even a difference between the two? They’re intrinsically connected, there isn’t one without the other. There’s nothing more human than folklore and stories passed from generation to generation. I wonder which long forgotten tales were lost to word of mouth and history. And I hope Mermaid Atlas had its place in the eternization of us.

The Mermaid Atlas is a stunning book with gorgeous illustrations and fascinating stories. It will charm and enchant readers of all ages looking to learn more about mermaids.

Wow, this book was absolutely beautiful!
The illustration was the best I've seen in a while, I could spend hours just looking at the pictures.

The book gives a great overview of mermaid myth/folklore which as the title suggests in an atlas form.
This a chapter for each continent with the various mermaid stories found in each one. In addition to this there are chapters on Mermaid homes, magic, sightings & things that can be mistaken for mermaids.

Aside from the mermaid 'facts' there is an introduction to each continent which gives some information about the waterways where mermaids can be found.

The book is a lovely introduction to geography & folklore around the world & the mermaids are useful tool to get kids interested.

What a fantastic, absolutely stunning book! Beautiful illustrations accompanied by an interesting and well-researched text. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to read and review "The Mermaid Atlas". This book would make an ideal present for children interested in all things magic (and perhaps also adults!).

Recommended. With many thanks to the publisher and @NetGalley for providing a free e-copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

This is the best idea! I loved reading it and find out so many things about merfolk. I had no idea how many kinds of mermaids exist. I thought it's just Ariel and The little mermaid. And the two tails from Starbucks. Just kidding. But for sure there are more than I thought.

I will put on my wishlist because I need to show to my baby when he will be old enough to understand. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this atlas.

A brilliant, informative book!
I love all things mermaid and sea related. I live on the coast and I’m obsessed with the seaside. I also love fantasy and myths, I’m always reading retellings of The Little Mermaid or books set along bodies of water.
This book was amazing. The illustrations are beautiful and I really enjoyed reading the information about different mermaids and mermen and other mythical sea species. I work in a library and this would be a brilliant addition to our junior library! Definitely something I think we should purchase. Not even just for children, it’s great for people of all ages.

Wow, did I ever enjoy reading The Mermaid Atlas to my kids? Absolutely. This was 110% as fun for me to learn about as them. I loved seeing the unique and creative lore of mermaids spun through so many cultures. Spanning from scary to silly to beautiful all the different tales were so interesting.

A treasure of a book!

From the beautiful Selkies of the Scottish seas, to the mighty river Syrenka protecting to the city of Warsaw and the fearful Ningyo of Japan with dark powers, The Mermaid Atlas is swimming with mythology, magic and mystery.

Beautifully divided between continents, with short yet satisfying descriptions and additional information on mermaid homes, sightings and timelines, these magical merfolk tales from around the world will mesmerize you throughout. Not to mention Miren Asiain Lora's stunning illustrations! Exquisitely detailed and refreshingly inclusive, each page is a visual treat.

Absolutely enchanting. A must for all mermaid fans.

What a cool book about mermaids! Combining mythology, folklore, magic, and sightings from around the world, the Mermaid Atlas is perfect for young mermaid fans. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful! I would recommend this for middle to late elementary aged children.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

What a fabulous book for any mermaid lover (such as myself!) Mermaid Atlas: Merfolk of the World by Anna Claybourne brings together two of my loves travel/world culture and mermaids.

When starting this book, I knew that mermaids came in good and evil types. I was also familiar with 2 or 3 of the mermaid legends in this book. That was maybe 5% of this book. The book is broken down by continent or region in the world. Then with each story, it lists the exact place of the legend. I learned that several cultures have mermaid legends where mermaids live in lakes, streams, rivers, etc. Also, they sometimes have other features such as snake tails or the ability to fly off. The facts about sirens are fascinating as well.

The illustrations by Miren Asiain Lora were each so stunning and really helped me to picture the different merfolk even more. The colour added a fun element to the stories and legends.

This book is phenomenal and a must for mermaids and mermaid lovers of all ages. Both the book and illustrations are an 11 out of 10! This book makes me want to research and explore this topic even more. I love how different cultures have their own take on the story and legends that have surely passed down from generation to generation for centuries.

I received an electronic advanced reader copy from Laurence King Publishing Ltd through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with the ARC.

The Mermaid Atlas by Anna Claybourne is a delightful book that covers everything about merfolk of the world. All the myths, fables associated with mermaids and similar creatures are explained in such a fun and easy to read way.

But I must say that the best part about the book was the illustrations. Colourful and whimsical at the same time, they made the myths even more compelling to read.

I would recommend this to everyone.

Firstly, this book is gorgeous. The illustrations are fun, colourful and just as vibrant as you would hope a Mermaid Atlas to be.

I love that the book is divided into continents, and then you move around the various types of mermaids that live in each region. [Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America and South Ameria with a section each]. There are facts, pictures and stories of sightings as you move through the book.

I'm an adult and I appreciated everything this book had to offer, and I'm already considering purchasing it for my niece's christmas.