When I first saw the cover of Julia Hengst’s Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia, I was definitely interested in reading it. It looked like a charming book, something that my daughter might have loved when she was slightly younger (or even now, to be honest). I’m glad to say that the book is filled with beautiful and charming illustrations, and that it describes a fascinating underwater world of mermaids, octopi, and other sea creatures.
The book is made up of short poems and whimsical stories about the mermaids, including how they are born and grow up, how coconut catfish and giant squids protest the mermaids, and how they celebrate different families. It’s actually quite long to read the whole book as a bedtime story, but that’s okay because the book has several sections and lots of short poems that would work very well as bedtime reading. I really liked all the little characters in the poems and stories, especially the giant squid and octomom. If anything, I wish that some of the characters had slightly longer stories, sort of like T.S. Eliot does in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. However, it is interesting to have so many little characters as well. I loved the huge variety of mermaids and sea creatures in Hengst’s world, from cat-fish to manatee teachers.
If I had a criticism of the book, it’s that there’s some talk of things like chakras (called “sharkras” because mermaids live in the sea, which is admittedly cute), or auras, which I honestly feel are a little…new-agey. While I did like some of the positive messages in the book about unconditional love and celebrating who you are, I wish there was more whimsy and less hippy. Still, I overall think that the book does have a positive message, and my daughter did like it. I especially did enjoy the illustrations, which are very lovely.
Overall, I’d recommend this to moms with young kids who really like yoga, haha, or anyone who’s interested in positive parenting. Just please vaccinate your children! Unconditional love is amazing, but science is awesome too!
Cover of Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia by Julia Hengst and Esther Samuels-Davis
About the Book
The magic universe of mermaids, full of laughter, song and delight: help your child
discover self-confidence and find their inner flow by diving deep into the magical world of
Mermaidia. Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia introduces the underwater world of
Mermaidia. This humorous and whimsical collection of poems and songs reveals how baby
mermaids are made, what mermaid families are like, and how mermaids study magic at
School of the Fish to become Sea Witches (not Sand Witches). Created by family therapist
Julia Hengst the Venus and Her Fly Trip series helps nurture the whole child, promoting self-
esteem, confidence and social/emotional/mental health in a fun, playful way.
Picture of Julia Hengst, author of Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia
About the Author
Julia Hengst is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an avid surfer, traveler and word
nerd who resides in Maui. Passionate about psychology, spirituality and media literacy, she
holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies from UC Berkeley, a Masters degree in
Counseling Psychology, and an imaginary degree from the University of
Puns.
Website: https://venusandherflytrip.net/
Social Media: Facebook and Instagram
Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e7c6a8f274/
