Mermaids' Song to the Sea with words by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrations by Renée Kurilla is a colorful picture book featuring prose and full pages of detailed artwork of creatures under the sea. Following three adorable little mermaids, the book follows them saying goodnight to and sharing spaces with fishes, squids and lots of creatures big and small. Kurilla’s artwork fills up the pages, wondrously with lots of color, attention to detail and aplomb. I really would have loved it if the text (which is in a fun font, by the way) be just a little bit bigger as it just seems to be swallowed up by the artwork throughout. Ashton’s poetic storytelling mostly has a nice flow with a few pages' text sounding just a bit out of sync but overall working well.

The publisher mentions that Mermaids' Song to the Sea is “Like Goodnight Moon, but for the creatures of the sea”, which actually is a great take on the book that I really like. There’s a few reviews on the Netgalley site of reviewers being blindsided or not caring for the ‘religious’ tone of the book, which makes me laugh a bit. While there is nothing wrong with religious books, Mermaids' Song to the Sea leans more towards a young child blessing and acknowledging lovely things before going to bed.

The book has a quiet tone and energy to it which would make it a soothing nighttime read. I know the book will appeal to those younger readers that not only love fictional mermaids but all the wonderful wildlife “under the sea”! The endpapers of the book reveal the underwater life with everything from squid and lobsters to queen triggerfish and more–labeling them with Kurilla’s expressive artwork. I especially love the very, very cute ending that embraces childhood imagination, environmental awareness, curiosity and friendship!

I grabbed this book off of Net Galley because my daughter loves mermaids, like any little girl so I figured she would enjoy this read. We really enjoyed the pictures. I didn’t realize because I didn’t read the synopsis that it was all about blessings aka religious or how I felt about it. It had some rhyming in it.
I’m not sure if I would recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for the book to read.

Mermaids' Song to the Sea is a book following three mermaids saying their goodnight blessings to an array of sea creatures. Filled with stunning illustrations and rhyming verses, this book is sure to grab the attention of children. The pictures were so colorful and detailed, and I loved the pages with all of the sea creatures and their names.

Highly recommend for fans of sea life and mermaids.

I received an ARC from Astra Publishing House | Hippo Park via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gosh, I love the illustrations in this book! They are bright and colorful and depict three joyful mermaids wishing good night to a wide range of ocean creatures. If you are a fan of Goodnight Moon or a family who includes a blessing for everyone that you know and love in your evening prayers, then this is the book for you. Unfortunately, I find Goodnight Moon to be a rather boring list of objects and found this blessing of the sea creatures a similarly banal ocean exploration.

Oh my goodness this book is SO precious. The artwork alone is beautiful to look at. I could stare at the pages all day. The ending of the story had me saying, “Awwwwww😍.”

Mermaids’ song to the Sea is a captivating children’s book.
I felt transported into the enchanting world beneath the waves.
With stunning illustrations that vividly depict the wonders of the sea and its inhabitants, this book is a feast for the eyes.
Each page is a work of art, showcasing the beauty and diversity of marine life.
Even if it didn’t have any written words, the imagery speaks volumes, sparking the imagination and igniting a sense of wonder in readers of all ages.
Thankyou to Author Diana Hutts Aston, Hippo Park Publishing and Netgalley opportunity to read this book.
Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext

In this bright and colourful picture book, the readers follow mermaids as they travel through the sea. They swim around and call out blessings to all sea creatures, near and far. They send positive affirmations and compliments to all of them.
Quote: Bless clams in their beds, and lobsters in pods.
Bless sharks in their shivers, and squids in their squads.

This picture book has full pages of colourful illustration. The sentences are rhyming and short, which makes it easier for younger readers to follow along. The vibrant pictures showcase the creatures talked about within the story. Mermaids Song To The Sea is a fun-loving book, teaching young readers about kindness as well as introducing them to names of new creatures they may have never heard of.

Such a sweet story. Special, vibrant, comforting drawings. This is a book of blessing provided by the sea. It is also educational. I learned vocabulary specific to sea creatures. This book had a nice flow, and was relaxing. I was blessed with a free ARC, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Cute Book! There are lots of bright pictures and the book is full of sea animals. Cute, quick, picture book that is perfect before bed.

This is very charming, even if the rhyme is unsteady. The illustrations will be sure to delight any young fan of mermaids (and maybe a few who couldn't care less about the more fantastical creatures of the sea but who love marine life!).

A beautifully illustrated picturebook. I love the color and the characters in this book. The rhythm of the story is fun and inviting. This is a sure win for any children who enjoy mermaids and all that comes with them.

Fans of mermaids and ocean creatures will enjoy this story. Mermaids' Song to the Sea follows three mermaids as they bless all the sea creatures with vibrant illustrations and rhyming. The book is not text heavy and includes a guide with the names of the sea creatures featured in the story.

Mermaids' Song to the Sea tells how Mermaids tell all the creatures in the ocean goodnight. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and I loved looking at all of the colors and fun interpretations of these lovable sea creatures. This would be a great book for bedtime when wanting kids to settle down, and would even keep a kid who can't read every word by themselves but just likes to look at pictures occupied.

The illustrations were stunningly beautiful. What a wonderful peek into life in the sea and all the creatures who live there. Children, especially those interested in the deep will enjoy this book

I reviewed this on Goodreads and Instagram @katie_lovesbooks21

This book was a 5 star read, it was incredibly done, the illustrations are beautiful (just incredible)
And the different sea creatures and the educational side of it was really good, my child loved pointing out all the things she knew and all the ones she didn’t know, she even giggled at the mermaids! She loved this book

It was so pretty and adorable! I loved the colors and all the different ocean creatures. I will definitely order a copy for my library.

When I heard that Renee Kurilla was illustrating a new book, I absolutely had to be sure to check it out. I'm so glad that I did because this one is precious! This will be a must read to my class of 4/5 year olds when we study ocean animals. Mermaids - while not real - are always a great topic for many little ones but I love how this book also highlights os many animals. I've also been trying to find books that illustrate the imagination at work so the ending of this one is perfect!

5 plus
This is the perfect bedtime rhyming story for MerMay. I am so grateful that publishers aren't all into the AI trend, this artist is amazing, and the story is sweet and inspiring. On each page or double (amazing pages) we can search for the sea creatures listed at the front of the book. It's beautiful and an homage to the ocean. Very beautiful. I want to be one of these Mermaids and share my friendship with all living things.
Let's protect our oceans.
Thank you, Netgalley and publisher for this e-arc.

A must have for anyone with little ones! Beautifully illustrated book! My daughters were enthralled by all the colors and sea creatures. Very cute book; I always enjoy children’s books that use rhyming for easier reading and, better listening from little ears.