The Very Short, Entirely True History of Mermaids by Sarah Laskow - ADVISABLE

The Very Short, Entirely True History of Mermaids by Sarah Laskow, 91 pages. NON-FICTION. Penguin Workshop (Penguin Random House), 2020. $13

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This is an anthology of text about the cultural beliefs and historical stories about mermaids. This book does not lean into the idea that mermaids are real, but rather explains mythologies from around the world that include mermaids and explores the animals that are often mistaken for mermaids. 

This felt very thorough given it is written for young readers. The information is clear and concise and really quite interesting. A reader will need to realize that they are settling in for a lot of reading and not a picture book experience, which the cover and size could potentially suggest. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher