The Mermaid Atlas: Merfolk of the World

I absolutely love this Mermaid "Atlas"! I preordered it to ensure I got my hands on one. I love mermaids, have done ever since I can remember and now, at 23, my love/obsession for them still hasn't waned - in fact it's grown. I'm forever collecting books on mermaids, fairies and other magical mysterious creatures and spirits. I love it and love how each continent is beautifully illustrated with the mermaids/water spirits dotted on the map in their countries of origin. One of my favourites is Melusine, (France), half fairy, half human, the daughter of a water fairy and a human king - but she's also a mermaid and transforms into the latter on Saturdays. My other favourites include the Selkie, Sedna, Mami Wata, the Ningyo, Lasiren and the Little Mermaid of course. I love how much time and effort has been put in and I love it!

My nearly 7 years old and I sat enthralled with this book from cover to cover. It was a birthday gift for her friend but we couldn't put it down!The history of mermaids throughout the years and across cultures.

This book is absolutely gorgeous and has become a firm favourite in our house. Beautiful way to explore the world!

Great book

This book is a magical compendium of all the stories, legends, and eyewitness accounts of merfolk across the globe! Starting with Miren’s beautiful Mermaid Map of Europe, Anna tells us about all the different mermaids known across the region. From the famous Little Mermaid of Denmark to spooky Rusalka of Western Russia. I loved Melsuine of France, half mermaid half fairy, though her story is tragic.From Europe, we are transported to Africa where we meet Yemoja (“mother fish”) of Nigeria and learn the enchanting tale of space mermaids told by the Dogon people of Mali. Then it’s off to Asia and we meet many new mermaids including Matsta of India and the fearful Ningyo of Japan who can give you eternal life. Next, we visit Oceania which is packed with mermaids from the region, like Maori mermaid, Pania of New Zealand.Finally, we go off to North and South America ending with the wily Iara of Brazil who love to outwit travellers. The account of each mermaid varies in length and there are some beautiful longer features on some of the mermaids. All the elements of this book are perfectly balanced. After each continent is one double page spread in black and white that tells us about other mermaid facts. From their homes, magic powers and eye-witness accounts to ancient mermaids and mistaken identity.This beautiful compendium of the world’s merfolk is one of a kind. It would make a wonderful gift – but you’ll probably want to buy yourself a copy too!Book reviewed on PictureBookPerfect.*I received a free copy of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed. This review contains my honest unbiased opinion.

Each story of the mermaid is a bit short but the illustrations are beautiful and it really covers mermaids from all over the world.My 7 year old really enjoyed it and reached for it now and again to re-read it.

My thanks to Laurence King Publishing Ltd. for a temporary digital edition via NetGalley of ‘The Mermaid Atlas: Merfolk of the World’ by Anna Claybourne with illustrations by Miren Asiain Lora in exchange for an honest review.Oh how I would have adored this picture book/atlas when I was a child as I was obsessed with merfolk and even created my own comics depicting them in their underwater homes interacting with other sea creatures.Here Anna Claybourne has collected merfolk ‘facts’ and short retellings of tales from all over the world organised by continent. Many of these types of merfolk were new to me so it proved a fascinating journey.I found Miren Asiain Lord’s illustrations enchanting with tiny details that enhanced the text.My only slight problem with the digital edition provided for review was that some pages had white text on a pale pink background that didn’t provide enough contrast to allow me to read. Still, this is unlikely to effect the print edition.Overall, a magical compendium to delight lovers of mermaid lore of any age.

The Mermaid Atlas is a fascinating encyclopaedia of mermaids and other mythical water creatures from all around the world. So many people picture mermaids as the conventional “Little Mermaid” but there is so much to these magical beings. This book explores each continent in turn as well as focussing on mermaid homes, ancient mermaids, mermaid magic, creatures mistaken for mermaids and mermaid sightings. It is a must-have for any mermaid or folklore lover.The detailed maps are amazing. It is so interesting to see the different beliefs, sightings and stories from across the globe. Yet, one thing remains the same, mermaids are powerful and deserve respect. From the Arctic to the Caribbean to the South Pacific, mermaids have a mystical strength that can overpower anyone they come across. They may be good-natured or they may be evil but no matter what, they are the rulers of their underwater domains.This book is an absolute treasure trove of mermaid facts – an enchanting collection of folklore, history and stories of cultural significance. It is perfect for anyone wanting to delve deeper into the oceans of knowledge that await.