The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime

Illustrated by Nici Gregory
Look inside
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.
EIJA SUMNER writes quirky and humorous picture books like her very first book, Crocodile Hungry. The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime is Eija's second picture book. She has an MFA from Hamline University in writing for children and young adults. Eija lives in Idaho with her family and a passel of pets. View titles by Eija Sumner
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. View titles by Nici Gregory
“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
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

About

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.

Author

EIJA SUMNER writes quirky and humorous picture books like her very first book, Crocodile Hungry. The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime is Eija's second picture book. She has an MFA from Hamline University in writing for children and young adults. Eija lives in Idaho with her family and a passel of pets. View titles by Eija Sumner
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. View titles by Nici Gregory

Praise

“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

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Read more