A Mermaid's Diary
Published on 28. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-5290-0940-8 (ISBN)
Description
Dive into a mermaid's diary and discover all the underwater secrets in this fantasy adventure from award-winner Chris Riddell. A fabulous holiday read, fully illustrated in black and white throughout and perfect for 7 to 9-year-old fans of The Little Mermaid and Ottoline.
'Humorous and fabulously illustrated, this 7+ diary adventure is stuffed to the gills with charm' - The Guardian
Meet shy mermaid Atalanta Scrimshaw.
She lives in the quiet backwater of Sleepy Cove, collects messages in bottles, rides seahorses and enjoys the hobby of 'walking' on the beach and visiting friends.
Life is perfect until Atalanta learns of plans by developers Bristle & Splinter to transform Sleepy Cove into a luxury seaside golf resort. Realizing that this plan will destroy her home, she enlists the help of her friends, old and new, to try to stop it . . .
Continue the underwater adventure with A Mermaid's Rescue.
'Charming, witty and imaginative, and packed with an unbelievable amount of stunning artwork . . . one of the best books to be published for 7- to 9-year-olds this year' The Bookseller
'This gorgeous book, written as a diary with Riddell's stunning illustrations . . . is the perfect summer read' Daily Mail
'Humorous and fabulously illustrated, this 7+ diary adventure is stuffed to the gills with charm' - The Guardian
Meet shy mermaid Atalanta Scrimshaw.
She lives in the quiet backwater of Sleepy Cove, collects messages in bottles, rides seahorses and enjoys the hobby of 'walking' on the beach and visiting friends.
Life is perfect until Atalanta learns of plans by developers Bristle & Splinter to transform Sleepy Cove into a luxury seaside golf resort. Realizing that this plan will destroy her home, she enlists the help of her friends, old and new, to try to stop it . . .
Continue the underwater adventure with A Mermaid's Rescue.
'Charming, witty and imaginative, and packed with an unbelievable amount of stunning artwork . . . one of the best books to be published for 7- to 9-year-olds this year' The Bookseller
'This gorgeous book, written as a diary with Riddell's stunning illustrations . . . is the perfect summer read' Daily Mail
Reviews / Votes
Charming, witty and imaginative, and packed with an unbelievable amount of stunning artwork for the price point. This might be one of the best books to be published for 7-9 year-olds this year. * The Bookseller * This gorgeous book, written as a diary with Riddell's stunning illustrations, is so packed with literary puns and cultural jokes that I had to read it twice in case I missed something. The first in a series, this is the perfect summer read. * Daily Mail * Full of Riddell's richly detailed and intricate black and white illustrations, this utterly charming and comedy-infused fantasy adventure delivers a seductive blend of friendship, underwater fun and imagination. -- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Post * 'Humorous and fabulously illustrated, this 7+ diary adventure is stuffed to the gills with charm' * The Guardian *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 7 to 9 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
On every page
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
165 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5290-0940-8 (9781529009408)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2025
Macmillan Children's Books
€10.99
Available for download
Person
Chris Riddell, the 2015-2017 UK Children's Laureate, is an accomplished artist and the political cartoonist for the Observer. He has enjoyed great acclaim for his books for children. His books have won a number of major prizes, including the 2001, 2004 and 2016 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medals. Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse won the Costa Children's Book Award 2013. His work for Macmillan also includes the bestselling Ottoline books, The Emperor of Absurdia, and, with Paul Stewart, the Muddle Earth books, the Scavenger series and the Blobheads series. Chris has been honoured with an OBE in recognition of his illustration and charity work. He lives in Brighton with his family.