A Mermaid's Diary: The perfect mermaid holiday story from award-winner Chris Riddell: 1 - Softcover

Riddell, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1529009405 ISBN 13: 9781529009408

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books, 2026

Synopsis

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

About this title

About the Author

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.

From the Back Cover

Bestselling award-winner Chris Riddell creates a lively cast of characters led by mermaid Atalanta Scrimshaw, who records the adventures of her friends in her diary. Perfect for readers of 7-9 who love Ottoline and The Little Mermaid.

Edition details

• Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1529009405
• ISBN 13: 9781529009408
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240