Review Detail

MERMAIDS ARE THE WORST is a charming new installment in The Worst! Series. In this book, Gilbert the Goblin has gone on vacation - which is unpleasantly crashed by the Mermaid Tournament of Awesomeness. At first, he is bothered by the noise and disruptions to his island getaway - but he soon learns to join in and embrace the fun.

What I loved: This is a delightful continuation of a beloved series. Children love the grumpy Gilbert as he grouses about magical creatures- but he always comes to learn to empathize and appreciate them for what they are. The story is told from his dialogue, and this works extremely well to convey the story and make for a fun read-aloud.

The images are absolutely fantastic with lots of color and fun details - they tell the story as much as the words do (and sometimes more!). Children love this method of storytelling as they can glean the information from the illustrations and recognize where Gilbert is a bit of an unreliable narrator.

The font is clear and easy to read throughout (primarily in speech bubbles), which is helpful for adults reading aloud. The end also hints to a potentially future book with Gilbert saying he'll go camping for his next vacation - and shows him with many eyes in the woods. Maybe werewolves or bigfoot? We can't wait to see!

Final verdict: MERMAIDS ARE THE WORST! is a delightful and comedic picture book that is sure to delight elementary school aged readers! Highly recommend picking this one up - and checking out the rest of the charming series!