The Secret History of Mermaids

The Liber Aquaticum, or The Secret History of Mermaids and Creatures of the Deep, is a history of oceanic folk compiled from the collection of the Order of the Golden Quills. This ancient fraternity has worked with the denizens of the deep to assemble an unparalleled collection of research articles for young scholars. From the origins of the mermaid to their language and communication to the interactions between sea- and land-dwelling folk, no shell is left unturned in this beautiful and comprehensive volume. This is a wonderful book. The cover has ornate silver foil along the edges and inset aquamarine stones, with a decorative tassel dangling from the spine. Although smaller in size than the wonderful picture books in the Ologies series, the book follows a similar format. Many of the pages have fold-out sections that expand on the given topic, or have flaps or mini-booklets that contain special magical incantations, extra “primary source” documentation, and other fun surprises that help expand the mythical world of the Golden Quills. The art for the book was carefully curated from fantasy's top artists, including Wayne Anderson, Gary Chalk, Matt Dangler, and Virginia Lee. The creativity they showcase is simply stunning. There's a section about mermaid anatomy and appearance, and there are a couple of images of deep sea merfolk that strongly resemble the real-life fish that thrive in the darkest waters of the ocean. There are also pictures of undersea towns where the mermaids and mermen live, made all the more haunting because some of the towns were once on land before sinking beneath the sea. I can't recommend this book enough. It's so lovely, just like its predecessor The Secret History of Giants: Or The Codex Giganticum . This is a must-have for mermaid fans young and old.

My 11 year old daughter loves this book. When we opened the package and saw the front cover I knew I had done good. The quality of the front and back covers are very nice. She loves the thick pages. Also all the secret little lift ups with information is a nice touch. I only wish the letter were a little bigger. My daughter doesn't seem to mind the small print. She read the entire book the same day she got it and has walked around with it all day. I think this was a very wise choice for her first real mermaid book. She is facinated with mer people and this book has enough information to keep her interested.

This hard cover book has a total cool factor. The photos and illustrations are amazing and there’s blue marbles in the front. Little books inside the books pages have little pages of their own. It’s the details that really set this book apart. There are no stories inside in case you’re looking for that. Instead you’ll find things like how mermaids communicate with their tails, evolution of fish to mermaids to men. It’s quite fascinating and fun, With history from cultures around the world and definitely not in line with Disney’s famous mermaid. Though aimed at older children I’m betting it’s adults who appreciate this the most. Mine arrived with an ocean themed pop socket. Sweet!

I used this as part of my mermaids and pirates unit study for my 7 and 9yo. They love this book. It added so much fun information, pictures, and interactive features that really got them engaged with the lessons.

This book has so many fun, clever extras. Gems, pull outs, pop ups. And lots of historical info. Very clever lay Out of the pages with color . So much to love about this book. Is a present for niece. Can hardly wait to give it to her.

The book is very interesting and it talks like a historical fact type of book. And talks about mermaid history and different types of mermaids and things like that. It's not quite what I was expecting but that doesn't mean it's bad. I'm glad to have it because I love mermaids and even their fake history. It's a cute fun read for any age as long as they are into mermaids and myths

Love all about mermaids and this book is so c Pretty

My 9-yr old granddaughter is over the ocean-illuminating MOON about this book. The mermaid language, the maps, all the fold-out features & cover decorations made this the wow of her birthday gifts. She's had trouble reading & only recently gotten some comfort with books thanks to a mermaid series. Since this book is written more for middle school & up we're thrilled that it sparked her interest enough to stretch her newly acquired reading muscles. She reads a lot of passages herself, happily attacking new words with some help & then trading reading back & forth with her step-Mama, which has been a lovely bonding experience for them both. WONDERFUL book for mermaid lovers of all ages!

Fantastic pictures and great text. My expectations were exceeded. Great book, my daughter loves it.

This little book is really lovely. Gemstones and gold on the cover... Fold out pages, mini booklets, gorgeous illustrations.... perfect for all the girls in my life (my daughters friends). This is the kind of book I wish I had as a child/young adult.

Fantastic present for my 7 year old cousin! She was absolutely mesmerised! I will say there is quite a lot of writing and some of it could be quite challenging. However my cousin was more than happy to read some of the shorter bits and look at the pictures, then allow me to read some of the longer more difficult parts. I think this is a real keeper of a book and my cousin is already treasuring it!

Es un libro bonito y pensaba que sería una obra de fantasía, pero recoge leyendas de diferentes partes del mundo y es muy completa. La única pega (gran pega) es que me enviaron un ejemplar con las tapas rotas, así que tuve que devolverlo.

This book has been my dream for a long time. And finally I bought it. I collect books about mermaids. I recommend them to people who collect books about them.🧜‍♀️🤍🌊