Reviews

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

brogan7's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

This text was interesting but written in such a dumbed-down style.  I almost want to analyze the sentences to figure out how she ended up writing it in such stilted English.  Is it good for young readers?  I don't know, it felt simpery to me, like the tone was less one of engagement and more one of exclamation.  Everything seemed to try to fit into a two-page spread, and things of some import were given very little weight. For instance, in the chapter on one-horned creatures with a black market for their body parts, she describes the price per pound of rhinoceros horn powder as if it's a high tower of blocks.  There's no sense of the horror of that statement, it's just "wow!" 

However, on the up side, she does mention both sets of unicorn tapestries, she talks about narwhals, and the first third of the book is overall good, if a little superficial.

samanthaspice91's review

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5.0

Super cute! very informative and easy to read, I googled a lot of images of the stuff she mentions. Somehow Christopher Columbus makes an appearance and is, classically, a jerk but what can you do.

mikayla_k_b's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is a lot of fun! It's great for people who love learning more about folklore and how fantasy creatures have changed over time. Also, I’m sure there would be tons of kids who’d love to read this book. Probably one of my favorite parts about this book is the illustrations—they were beautiful.

mouseg's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars. This was adorable and very informative. The author gives us a very short, entirely true history of unicorns, no really. She explains history, myths, and possible creatures that inspired unicorns. She also explains how unicorns have evolved with the times. The art is simple and easy on the eyes, a lot of blue throughout the book. Is it weird that I wanted some pink unicorns? Almost every page has an illustration and there's only one repeated illustration.
Thousands of years have passed yet humans are still enthralled by the mystical beasts. A great little book to add to your tiny human's library.
Now I have to go buy some unicorn inspired items! Especially items with rainbows!
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.