Stella & Marigold: Mermaids and Mix-Ups: Book 2

by Annie Barrows, Sophie Blackall (illustrator)

From the creators of the New York Times–bestselling Ivy + Bean comes the second book in a fun and funny new series about two small sisters with very big imaginations.

This charming and critically acclaimed early chapter book series follows the everyday adventures of siblings Stella and Marigold. In this second book, Stella and Marigold receive a purple present—a book for them to list all their friends. That’s when they discover they need to make more friends!



But how? With magical recipes to make snow fall? With lots of nice Band-Aids? How about a mermaid candleholder? The two sisters are full of ideas and plans. Maybe they turn out, or maybe they don’t, but one thing is for By the end of this book, readers will be the best of friends with Stella and Marigold.

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED: Book 1 in the series, a USA Today and National Indie bestseller, shined with critics, receiving four starred reviews!



BELOVED CHILDREN’S BOOK Annie Barrows is the author of The Magic Half and bestselling The Best of Iggy series. Sophie Blackall is the award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner Hello Lighthouse. Together, they are the dynamic duo behind the Ivy + Bean series.



GREAT FOR NEWLY INDEPENDENT READERS: With lots of adventure, a dynamic relationship that captures an enormous range of emotions, and colorful pictures, this series is perfect for emerging readers. Humor is also one of the best enticements to get and keep kids reading. This unlikely duo will have readers LOL-ing!



STRONG RELATIONSHIP: The warm, loving relationship between Stella and Marigold is at the heart of this book. Parents looking for a positive depiction of the ups and downs of sisterhood will love this series, but it will also resonate with fans of more general friendship duos. The series has the same familiar settings and family relationships as Ivy + Bean, with just a sprinkle of magic.



WONDERFUL  Sophie Blackall is uniquely able to create illustrations that are both gorgeous and hilarious, making this book series a gift joyfully given and very happily received.

Perfect


Independent readers age 6-9


Parents, teachers, and librarians seeking entertaining elementary school chapter books


Gift-givers looking for an early readers series for kids who enjoy stories full of humor and heart


Readers who love such bestselling book series as Ivy + Bean, Junie B. Jones, Beezus and Ramona, Dory Fantasmagory, and Princess in Black

Genres: Humor, Childrens, Chapter Books, Realistic Fiction

116 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Annie grew up in Northern California, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, with a degree in Medieval History. Unable to find a job in the middle ages, she decided upon a career as an editor, eventually landing at Chronicle Books in San Francisco, where she was in charge of "all the books that nobody in their right mind would publish." After earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Mills College, Annie wrote (as Ann Fiery) a number of books for grown-ups about such diverse subjects as fortune-telling (she can read palms!), urban legends (there are no alligators in the sewer!), and opera (she knows what they're singing about!). In 2003, Annie grew weary of grown-ups, and began to write for kids, which she found to be way more fun.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Annie Barrows sends 7-year-old Stella and her little sister Marigold, almost 5, on adventures. Not to the Amazon jungle, or outer space, or some magic land, but everyday adventures that Barrows still makes sound so fun! Stella (but especially Marigold) think and behave just as young children do in real life, sometimes misbehaving. Such a wonderful change of pace! And I love the name of Marigold’s school: Sarah and Angelina Grimké Elementary School! Almost as much as I adore this chapter book.

Stella & Marigold: Mermaids and Mix-ups appears to be the second in a series, but I never felt lost. Two-time Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall provides some of the most winsome illustrations ever.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Chronicle Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second volume in the Stella and Marigold stories may not be quite as good as the first, but it’s still entertaining, and their sister relationship remains as strong and heartwarming as ever. In this one, the girls receive some notebooks from an aunt they’ve never met (and who often sends rather terrible gifts). The books are for filling in lists of their “faves,” including their “besties.” When the girls realize their lists of besties are shorter than they’d like, they set out to make new friends so that they can add them to their books--which sometimes works, sometimes backfires, and often doesn't feel so good. At times this driving thread feels a little bit like it gets lost along the way. Still, the episodic chapters are enjoyable and funny.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to find this book because I enjoyed the first one. But I admired the cute and colorful drawings more than the story collection. Their only theme was Stella and Marigold together. Book 2 has the improved theme of friendship. The first story is the introduction. Then the other eight develop details with different characters. My favorite was the third story about Stella and her class. As in the first book, each story ends much too abruptly. I will give both books to my niece who’s in the second grade this year like Stella. She has a younger sister who’s in preschool like Marigold.

[Dest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both Stella and Marigold are trying to make more besties in this book. I thought Stella's journey was funny and creatively done. There's a great chapter where it's only October but it's so cold that the kids are trying to make it snow with magical thinking.

Marigold's storyline, however, was something I've seen before -- a kid doing a bad thing (like stealing) for a good reason (to make their friend happy) because they think the ends justify the means.

There's a very clear moral to the story: friendship is about quality, not quantity.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Chronicle Books through NetGalley.
Stella and Marigold are back for more adventures at home. The girls receive books from an aunt they don't know and try to fill in the answers to questions. When they come to the friends list, they realize they don't have as many friends as blanks on the page. Readers see them try to figure out more friends with humorous results. I love the ending when they realize they have the perfect number of friends for them.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with my 8 year old daughter and she enjoyed the stories about the girls and their adventures. It was a longer book than I had originally expected when I first requested the book. It isn't an issue, just not what I thought it would be. It does present as an older book.

Thank you Chronicle Books, Annie Barrows and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Amy Oberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrator Annie Barrows is incredible and the book's typeset is lovely (named "Sassoon Infant").
Although I tried to enjoy the main characters, I couldn't dismiss the lack of real-world repercussions in response to the children's choices. I will not purchase other releases in this series for our children's collection.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

How cute! I'm a sucker for Sophie Blackall's art - The Farmhouse is one of my most favorite picture books - and this series about two sisters is charming! I'll need to get both the first and second for the library.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to reunite with Stella & Marigold in their second illustrated chapter book, Mermaids and Mix-Ups! Once again, Barrows and Blackall show a keen understanding of young children's feelings and behavior in a way that should appeal to a wide age range.

[Thomas]

Read to 6yo. Very fun, good heart, finished in under a week. Reads aloud well, funny characters for kids and adults.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Stella and Marigold in more adventures stemming from the arrival of matching friendship notebooks from cousin Julia.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Stella and Marigold! This second book is delightful!

[Erica Miske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute chapter book I read to my kids 3.5 and 7 yrs old

[Kathy Boskind · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that this new installment of Stella & Marigold didn't quite live up to my expectations. I started reading this book with my 7 year old, but she lost interest half way through. The adventure/story of the sisters wasn't interesting enough to keep her attention, so I finished it on my own. Worth reading, but not a favorite.