A Natural History of Mermaids - Emily Hawkins

Author: Emily Hawkins

Genre: Picture Book, Folklore.

Rating: Leaving this unrated.

A “factual” look at the fantastical idea of merfolk. The book is good, but I wasn’t the right reader for it.

The content is set around the idea that a woman explorer named Darcy Delamare disguised herself as a man and joined the scientific expedition team of the HMS Challenger. (FYI, the woman is fictional; the expedition isn’t.) Darcy’s “findings” are presented in this book, which is patterned like a field journal, replete with her research data, her notes on the characteristics and habits of merfolk, information on underwater content such as shells and plants (and even on things like “types of mermaid tails”). The entire idea is a tongue-in-cheek way of presenting the “truth about mermaids”, with the last page acting as the spoilsport when the President of the British Society of Natural Sciences debunks all the “proof” sent by Darcy as hogwash.

The extent of information in the book took me by surprise. Had I now known the reality about mermaids, I would almost have been convinced of their existence. (Maybe some younger kids will actually believe in mermaids after reading this! Who knows?!) The style of writing is very encyclopaedic, with each page having sectioned text boxes designed in papyrus style. These contain information about the mer folk as well as an excerpt of Darcy’s notes from her journal. The content intermingles fact and fiction. For instance, the deep sea angler fish is presented as a mermaid variant, with an illustration supporting the same. Same goes for the puffer fish and many other uncommon fish.

On the positive side, the lore elements were outstanding! The books presents info in mermaids from a variety of cultures and regions. It delves into how the myths began, where the “first mermaid was sighted”, and so on. I enjoyed the parts where real animal facts were disguised as mer information. The illustrations are beautiful and match the content excellently.

On the flip side, this fact-fiction medley isn’t a style that works well for me. Had the entire book contained a humorous approach that was more overt than covert, I might have enjoyed it more. But the humour is too subtle and the presentation too straightforward, thereby creating mixed signals at least in my head.

Also, the small size of the text made it very difficult to read. (This might not be a problem in the physical copy, but my digital copy sure tested the limits of my eyes.) There is too much information per page. It might get too overwhelming for kids. The official age range is 7-11 years, but the younger of this segment might enjoy the illustrations more than the content.

I have always maintained that I am a creature of logic. The dominant left side of my brain is trying hard to figure out the point of the book and whom to recommend it to. The subdued right side is whispering, “Suggest it to those who love mermaids.” For once, my left hemisphere will pay heed to the advice. Ergo…

Recommended to those who love mermaids, regardless of age.

Don’t forget, this is an outlier review by a reader who shouldn’t have read this book in the first place. The other reviews are overwhelmingly positive, so ignore the logical grump writing this, and decide for yourself.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “A Natural History of Mermaids”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.