The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime - by Eija Sumner (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An anti-bedtime book about a mermaid who is definitely NOT your typical mermaid!"--

Book Synopsis

This little mermaid is too FIERCE and SCARY and FEROCIOUS to follow The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime . . . well, except the part about snuggling her shark stuffie. A hilarious picture book for kids ages 3 to 7 who are experts at resisting sleep.

Once upon an evening, a good little mermaid begins to get ready for bed.
Once upon? No. Not once upon. I know what that means. And I'm NOT a good little mermaid. I am a PREDATOR!

Thus begins our story of a little mermaid who is anything but good.
Sleep? Sleep is for guppies! This little mermaid is a TERROR of the DEEP.

Cleaning up and putting toys away? This little mermaid doesn't need TOYS. The ocean is her playground, and everything in it is afraid of HER.

Brushing her teeth and flossing? Never! Well . . . maybe a little bit so they gleam like RAZOR-SHARP BLADES.

Cleverly told through a back and forth between The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime and a mermaid who is resisting bedtime at every turn, this story will delight readers with its hilarious illustrations and adorable but VERY SCARY main character. Will she ever go to sleep? Read on to find out.

Review Quotes

"A fierce young mermaid rebels against prim behavioral advice in Sumner's ornery metafictional title . . . It's a story for the bedtime-avoidant whose curmudgeonly antihero truly shines[.]" --Publishers Weekly

"A must for mermaid fans, sweet or sassy, and a great bedtime read." --Kirkus Reviews

"This book is utterly original, delightfully dark, and as twisted as a branch of undersea coral. Good night, little mermaid. Sweet nightmares." --Booklist

"What is there for the girl unimpressed by the glittering, precious creatures populating many Disney movies and much of kid lit? The one who bristles at tiaras . . . who chafes at any effort toward conformity? [The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime] offers a heroine meant just for that girl, a little mermaid with razor-sharp teeth, predatory instincts, and zero interest in being good, sweet, or, most importantly, following [an] evening routine. . . . A contrarian delight." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

About the Author

EIJA SUMNER has an M.F.A. from Hamline University in writing for children and young adults. While a student at Hamline, Eija received the T.A. Barron Fellowship for Excellence in Fantasy Writing, the Anne Tews Schwab Award for Excellence in Critical Writing and the Frances and Kermit Rudolf Scholarship Award. She lives in Idaho with her husband, three children, two cats and one red-eyed bunny.

NICI GREGORY started illustrating whilst still in primary school, drawing in the margins of her exercise books. After studying graphic design in Hamburg, Germany, she went on to work as an in-house illustrator for a marketing firm in Sheffield. When she realized her work in the margins (mostly animals in fancy clothes) continued to be her favorite and best work, she decided to leave the world of marketing for a full-time career in creating animal characters for children. She has never looked back. Nici lives in Sheffield, England.