Are you looking for a super cute mermaid children’s book? Check out this list of the best mermaid books for kids worth buying as a gift or reading at bedtime!
This post about the best mermaid books for kids was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Do you have a child who is obsessed with mermaids?
Mermaids are magical mythical creatures that capture the hearts of kids everywhere. With the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, they’re very ancient.
Today, we’re taking a look at some of the cutest mermaid books for you to enjoy with your kids. You’re in for quite a fun and fishy time!
These are perfect additions to any children’s book collection. Plus, they’re perfect for bedtime stories!
If you have young children who love mermaids or if you yourself just love them too, these books will be sure to please everyone involved!
They make great gifts as well so don’t forget about those birthdays coming up soon!
Your child will be enchanted by each one of these beautiful tales filled with magic and wonderment from beginning to end. And it’ll make their dreams come true when they drift off into slumberland after reading through all these delightful stories together before bedtime every night.
It’s going to be an enchanting experience that both parents and children alike won’t soon forget!
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and scroll down right now so we can get started exploring our favorite undersea friends together today!
Mermaid Facts for Kids FAQs
Babylonian text mentions the god Oannes, who was part man and part fish. Japanese folklore details a mermaid named Ningyo. Polynesian mythology, which had a large influence on Hawaiian culture, includes a half-human and half-porpoise god named Vatea.
Mermaids have been the subject of many an ode and legend, but few could definitively answer if they are dangerous or not. What isn’t up for debate is their history as a source of fascination in society. Sailors were at risk to jump into the sea upon hearing tales told by other mariners. Some people credit mermaids with good luck while others believe them responsible for bringing bad fortune on those who encounter them – there’s no clear consensus about this one either!
Mermaids have a swimming motion similar to dolphins. They both use their large single fin at the end of the tail for propulsion through water, but there’s more than just one way that they do this – mermaids move it up and down while making full-body waves with each stroke like someone pushing off on an ocean wave!
9 Adorable Mermaid Books for Kids
1. Mermaid School
What could be more exciting than the first day of school? Well, what about mermaid school? Follow the story of schools from a mermaid’s perspective to schools of fish and learning the A B Seas.
This book touches on traditional and nostalgic moments in your human child’s day, with a slightly fishier lens. The illustrations are watercolor style, with the perfect amount of pastel colors and ocean effects.
At the end of the book, you’ll find the mermaid school handbook! The perfect guide for your mermaid-loving kid to take inspiration into their own school adventures.
This is our favorite mermaid book for kids!
2. How to Catch a Mermaid
From the New York Times and USA Today’s bestselling list is How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace. It’s one of the most popular mermaid children’s books.
This humorous picture book details under-the-sea adventures and explorations on how the reader might hope to spot and catch a mermaid.
This book’s art is gloriously rendered in e-book, paperback, and hardcover versions, and features human child characters on the tail of mermaids undersea. Let your child’s imagination run free!
3. The Only Mermaid: Making Room For Someone New
One of the newer mermaid books we’re considering today is The Only Mermaid: Making Room for Someone New published this past July.
Follow the story of the sweet mermaid Yara, whose lagoon is a safe haven for her friends in the form of seahorses, dolphins, turtles, and whales.
Yara lives an exciting and fun life in her cozy cave, but things change when a new mermaid, Devyam arrives. Yara struggles with the thought of no longer being the only mermaid in the area and wonders how to go about this change.
This book aims to teach young readers about kindness and communication when it comes to jealousy and loneliness. Who doesn’t love a dose of fantasy with a lesson on compassion?
4. The Mermaid
The Mermaid is a picture book classic with breathtaking illustrations with intricate details. Kiniro, a young mermaid, experiences an under-the-sea version of the traditional Goldilocks story.
She finds a beautiful house made of seashells and coral and enjoys a just-right breakfast inside. Falling asleep in a comfy bed inside, the Octopus family returns home…in shock at finding their new mermaid guest!
Adorable and magnificent chaos ensues in this story set off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
It’s one of the most recommended mermaid books for children. Teachers love this book as a great comparison to Goldilocks, and the story is also a New York Times bestseller.
5. Good Night Mermaids (Good Night Our World)
Does your child dream of finding their own mermaid tail color? What about riding with dolphins, swimming with seahorses, and dressing up with seashells?
Good Night Mermaids is part of the Good Night Our World series for toddlers and preschoolers.
This series aims to teach memory and listening skills to kids through fantasy character stories. Grab a unique “board book” version instead of a hardcover for added durability to this perfect nighttime story.
6. Julián Is a Mermaid
For a more unique take on a cute and impactful mermaid book, Julian Is a Mermaid is a must-read. The book is a “Teacher’s pick,” on Amazon, and follows the human boy Julián and his admiration of women spectacularly dressed as mermaids on the local subway.
He returns home and dreams of his own costume of a yellow-curtain mer-tail and a breathtaking headdress. Julián lives with his Abuela, who is sure to see his creation. What will she think about Julián’s dream?
This book is full of heart and celebration in child confidence and self-love. If your child has ever felt out of place for their looks or interests, this book is a must-read. With a beautiful mermaid lens, of course!
7. Mabel: A Mermaid Fable
If you’re looking for preschool books about the ocean and the creatures that live there, this is a great pick.
Mabel is a little mermaid who doesn’t fit in with the other mermaids. Luckily for her, she’s not alone.
An octopus friend of Mabel’s isn’t fitting into his shell either because he has such different interests than all the others. Only when they are together can they truly be themselves.
Through their friendship, they discover that what makes them so unique were exactly what made life worth living! This is one of the most adorable mermaid picture books.
8. Mermaid Coloring Book: For Kids Ages 4-8
This mermaid book is a coloring book for kids featuring 50 unique mermaid designs on letter-sized (8.5 by 11 inches) paper.
Breathtaking mermaids, cute mer-cats, majestic turtles, sandcastles, starfish, and more sprawl across these pages for your child to bring to life with color.
This coloring book’s pages are single-sided to protect your kid’s creations from a marker or other color bleeding through to another page.
9. Black Mermaids: All Ages Coloring Book
No coloring book collection is complete without a wide variety of representations! Black Mermaids: All Ages Coloring Book features 30 coloring pages of gorgeous black mermaids with various natural hairstyles.
Children of all ages need to be able to consume media and art with characters that both look, and don’t look, like them!
When it comes to fantasy art, in particular, black characters are often severely lacking. This book celebrates diversity instead.
Your child will enjoy beautiful mermaids on one-sided coloring pages to prevent bleed-through, as well as 5 affirmations with creative designs throughout the book.
Mermaid Children’s Books Wrap Up
If you’re looking for great mermaid books for kids, we hope that this list will help. These are some of the best and most popular options available on Amazon.
We also have a few more ideas in our other posts about mermaids we think your children would enjoy! Check them out below if you’re interested.