A Book of Mermaids

by Ruth Manning-Sanders, Robin Jacques (Illustrator)

Stories about mermaids come from almost every country by the sea--from Iceland to India, America to Arabia. In these sixteen stories, Ruth Manning-Sanders captures the quirky personalities of mermaids and mermen, recounting their marvelous schemes and adventures with a master story-teller's eye for detail.

Genres: Mermaids, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Childrens, Classics, Short Stories, Picture Books

128 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1970

About the author

Ruth Manning-Sanders, youngest daughter of an English minister, describes her childhood as “extraordinarily happy. . . with kind and understanding parents and any amount of freedom.” She read omnivorously, and she and her two sisters wrote and acted their own plays. A Shakespeare scholar at Manchester University, she later married Cornish artist George Manning-Sanders. They began married life in a horse drawn caravan, and traveled to all parts of the British Isles.
Mrs. Manning-Sanders has collected folk and fairy stories from around the world and she published more than 90 books during her lifetime.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book growing up.
Probably checked it out from the library twenty times.
I had a strong, sudden desire to own it and keep it on my bedside table for the rest of my life. I hunted one down through eBay.
Some of these stories are melancholy...which I like.

[Allison Tebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely enchanting and the perfect bedtime reading.

[Kali]

The Four Abdallahs is heart-warming, the one about Long John the whale hilarious...wish the author were alive for me to listen to.

[Bridgid]

Loved the art as a kid!!

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me and my inner child both loved this book.
Much fun getting lost in the world of mermaids and mermen!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folk and fairy tales from around the world, each with its own unique portrayal of the personalities, abilities, and appearance of merpeople. A fun read for merfolk fans!

[Leila Anani · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child I spent most of my time in the folklore section of our local library and my favourites were always A book of.... by Ruth Manning Sanders. I devoured the whole range: ogres, giants, wizards, witches, dragons, dwarves - however the book of mermaids was my personal holy grail. I loved the stories which come from all of the world - America, Arabia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Scotland and Wales and the mix of both good and evil mermaids and mermen. Here were stories that never cropped up anywhere else all together in one volume.

I've been after my own copy for years, however its been long out of print. I was delighted when this paperback re-print came out but while all the stories are here it's not quite the same. The main thing is it lacks Robin Jacques's fabulous illustrations which were such a magic part of my childhood. I also have to say that I hate Mari Paige Hellman's new cover art where we don't even get to see the mermaid's face and it doesn't represent the fairytale/folklore content.

I'm glad to get my hands on this wonderful trove of stories once more, but this edition drops a star simply because the old hardback was so much nicer.

Still no mermaid fan can afford to be without this in their collection.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I pick up a book by Ruth Manning-Sanders, I'm shocked and delighted that it's just as good, if not better, than the one before! My only complaint about this one is that it doesn't tell you the country of origin in the table of contents (as the other books do), although it is listed in the Forward, so I really can't complain too much.

I'm not generally a real fan of mermaids (like fairies, I think they're overrated), but these stories were great and I enjoyed each one. My favorites, though, were "Margrette", "The Untidy Mermaid", and "Merman Rosmer"--those long arms, man!

Highly recommended to readers young and old.

[Sara Tiede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice collection! Great read for kids who love mermaids and want more than just Hans Christian Anderson. This collection definitely uses some dated language, but nothing too difficult to understand. The stories were nicely rounded to show "the good, the bad and the ambivalent" of mermaid tales. It was European heavy, but did have a couple mid eastern and an Indian story. The last story was an excellent ending to a solid collection, a good "happily ever after" to end a fairy tale collection with. My daughter and I will happily read more of Ruth Manning-Sanders' collections!

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many books of mermaid stories, but this one from Ruth Manning-Sanders is a classic, and more rewarding than most of the newer ones. Mermaid tales from many countries -- and a great variety of plots and characters. It's not all Hans Christian Andersen. My usual complaint with Ruth Manning-Sanders books is that she doesn't cite sources.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally (finally!) found this book after loving it as a child. These stories gave my sister and me so many happy memories. The new edition is nice, but I liked the original illustrations and you can't beat that old-book feel.

[Samantha Atzeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a child and fell in love with it. I now have the joy of reading it to my own child and these stories are just as beautiful and magical as they had been when I found it on the library bookshelf all those years ago. These are stories for lovers of fairy tales, mermaids, and magic.

[Kayla Vettel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite book since I was very young! I checked it out of the bookmobile countless times, bought a copy off of EBay, and then another copy when it was reprinted! Filled with lots of magical mermaid tales!

[Abi Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream up traditional folk tales of mermaids swathed in pearls and gems accompanied by evocative illustrations and here you'll arrive. I've read this book (and many in the series) repeatedly since my youth and the magic has never faded.

[Mandy Crumb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and magical read with wonderful illustrations about a wide variety of merfolk from different places. Many cultures are fairly represented by the merfolk tales included. My only complaint is that it doesn't tell you at the beginning of each story where it originated from.

[Rebecca Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, Timeless Collection of Stories

If you like to hear and read stories about the merfolk, these tales will keep you entertained for many nights or days no matter what your age.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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