The Magical History of Mermaids

by Russ Thorne, Tera Lynn Childs (Foreword)

'Ariel, listen to me.
The human world is a mess.
Life under the sea is better than
anything they got up there.'
- Sebastian, Disney's The Little Mermaid

A popular phenomenon in the modern era, sightings of mermaids have been recorded throughout ancient history, appearing in times of trouble and disaster. These elusive creatures exist powerfully in imaginative literature and have become a source of inspiration for artists throughout the world. This delightful history is illustrated primarily by new artists.

Genres: Fantasy, Mermaids, Mythology

127 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

As a boy, Russ Thorne loved reading Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, playing Hero Quest and poring over issues of 'White Dwarf', admiring the cover art in the process. Later he studied English Literature and got to know Homer's heroes and a bit of Beowulf, before beginning a career as a writer and editor. Since then he's published books on tattoo art, body piercing and vampires and writes regularly for national newspapers including the Independent.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solidly 3.5 stars- it was a cute book, lots of amazing pictures, facts, and drawing mermaids from the past into the present. However I had thought that the book would contain full myths and legends, which it did not. The author summarized many different legends from around the world which is wonderful for people who have a vast knowledge of mermaids. Good for a light read, however if you're looking to learn more about mermaids I'd suggest a different book.

[sam.vvitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is FANTASTIC (or should I say Fintastic 🧜‍♀️) and I mainly got the book as a way to have these gorgeous selections of artist interpreted mermaids in varying art styles in my possession. I wish there was more depth in the history and folklore sections. The book covered a lot of territory however, I would’ve been absolutely alright with a longer book if it meant more information. It’s a good starting point to begin exploring the referenced works and recommendations for other readings though.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest: I mostly got this for the pictures. I was hoping to have my imagination inspired by looking at the art, as I feel like the kind of mermaid story I want to read doesn't exist.

The text is fairly generic "sailors once claimed to see mermaids" stuff, as if the author realized that young girls receiving this would immediately tear the book up to make mermaid collages for their bedroom walls. The book makes good material for a budding collage artist.

The art is beautiful - colorful and several with the feel of watercolor paintings. Some anime-style, some in a more realistic style. I didn't find it as imaginative as I'd hoped, though. Most of the art doesn't tell a story, but rather just has a traditionally beautiful mermaid looking beguilingly at the viewer or smiling at a boyfriend or father figure. There were some interesting variations: a few pictures that show more aquatic-looking mermaids (upper bodies with gills, scales, barnacles) and some mermaid mothers with mer-babies. One mer-baby is inside a translucent egg, playing on the idea of mermaids as fish.

I'm sure most tween girls will love this. When I was twelve, I probably would have only wanted pretty pictures of mermaids with long flowing hair, and this book delivers.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved all the pictures in here. It helped me picture what some of my characters might look like. However, I wished it would have gone deeper into the mythology of mermaids. It touched briefly on how the myths of mermaids originated in different cultures, but I was hoping it would go more in depth. It's a fun light read, and it may spark an idea or two for a new mermaid story, but if you're wanting more research on mermaids this isn't the book for that.

[Amy Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully layed out book with many styles of mermaid artwork,some artists I definitely want to investigate further!

A good catchall of mermaid lore and mermaids of the world. I wish it had gone deeper and been longer on some subjects, it's more like bitesize paragraphs that leave you wanting more. But I did enjoy what was offered. A perfect beginner guide I'd say and no pictures were inappropriate for younger viewers.

[Jennifer Rux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing.

It provided interesting facts about mermaids and some of the lore. It provided us with some tv and movies on mermaids. It talked about songs and pop singers who personify mermaids.

Most importantly the book had some stunning mermaid art. They were eye catching and just added to the whole feel of the book.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork was beautiful, though I did feel like there was too much from one artist when there is SO much beautiful mermaid artwork out there. The actual information about mermaids was interesting too. But it just wasn't as impactful as I thought it was going to be, which is sad because I love mermaids and other such things.

[Lucy Morningstar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the book for the artworks. Most of the artworks are beautiful, some are traditional paintings, some are digital art. In terms of info about mermaids, I agree with the other reviews, it is very basic, and it's a quick read.

[Julia Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned some new facts!!!

[Olenka Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful!

[Kaylyn Gabbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book could have gone in more details, but they had a wide variety of sources that I appreciated. It inspired me on some writing of my own.

[Amber Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly decent overview of mermaids, their history and their various appearances in different mediums. Wonderful illustrations - the pictures are really what make this book.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book about the history of mermaids. The illustrations are beautiful and it gives a good overview of the history of mermaids.

[Chloe Callender · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic summery or mermaids in legend, media and modern day. It doesn't go very in-depth about the actual myths of mermaids, but again, it is a good general summery of mermaid information.

[Hayley (hayleys.little.library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun book for those interested in mermaids/sirens! This book went into great detail discussing the perceived folklore/stories/history of different cultures and countries of mermaids. It was filled with some great information and was really nicely presented with lots of illustrations and photo's. Highly recommend.

[Neon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly grabbed this book for the art.

I love anything mer-based.

I guess I get that from my mother.

Anyway, the information was fine, not a lot, but the poetry and quotes were a nice touch.

I would have loved to have learned more.