ReaditDaddy's First Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 5th June 2020: "Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora (Laurence King Publishing)

Oh yes indeed we do love a good atlas with a twist or two to mark it out from the norm.

Once again we're in the realsm of myths and legends, this time looking at a mythical creature whose fishy tail has been seen waving above the briny deep for millennia across the world.

"Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora is a very special book indeed, taking us on a tour right around the globe looking at the various ways different countries and cultures have woven their own mermaid legends, with many different names and mystical powers brought to life through the oral storytelling traditions of sailors and seafolk.

The minute you see this book you just cannot wait to dive in. It's beautifully produced but the real lure for us was finding out about all those different types of mermaids, some of which were familiar and some of which were entirely new.

Let's take a look inside this truly gorgeous book!

The legend of Nommo, spacegoing mermaid! How cool is that!

This is just so lovely, and it covers a subject that kids will be familiar with in a really cool way, showing how different cultures have so much in common, particularly when it comes to supernatural mythical creatures.

Instantly enchanting!

Once again, like all the fantastic books that find their way into our Book of the Week slot, it's a fantastic place for children to start learning about something new, serving as the perfect jumping-in point to cover the subject of mythical creatures in more depth.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly mesmerising and gorgeous book taking us on a tour of the world's mermaid legends and so beautifully presented you'll almost want to stick it in a frame and put it on the wall.

"Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora is out now, published by Laurence King Publishing (kindly supplied for review).