BOOK REVIEW: A Field Guide to Mermaids of the Great Lakes by Debbie Scheller

 

The Great Lakes of North America are some of the largest freshwater bodies on Earth.  Though they formed relatively recently from meltwater during the last Ice Age, these inland seas have had a profound effect on the surrounding environment. While the deepest, coldest waters are devoid of life, the shallows and shoreline ecosystems are home to a great diversity of organisms such as eels, salmon, otters- and perhaps more fantastic creatures too, such as the aquatic humanoids that Debbie Scheller details in her book

 Despite the “Field Guide” in the title, this is not a rigorous identification guide with taxonomic names and data keys. Rather, it more closely resembles an ecologist’s sketchbook lovingly crafted in the field.  Scheller’s mermaids are depicted with a naturalist’s eye and a clear understanding and love for the ecosystems of the Great Lakes. The information about each mermaid species varies. Some entries detail unique aspects of the creatures’ anatomies. Others focus on ecological interactions and social behaviors. One entry is even a first-hand sighting of a mysterious giant mermaid that appears to be drawn to lighthouses.  

The mermaids are depicted as personifications of the Great Lakes.  Some are based on animals like lake chub and river otters. Others are inspired by semi- and fully aquatic flora such as milfoil, cattails, pitcher plants, and even wild ginseng. Still others are unique species adapted to the rivers and ponds that make up the Great Lakes’ watershed, such as mermaids with tails that mimic fallen leaves, or with fleshy collars that resemble pink flowers floating on the water’s surface.

The book’s colored pencil drawings are bright and vibrant and frequently supplemented with black-and-white spot illustrations that detail aspects of behavior and ecology. Styles vary, too. Some drawings have rich, detailed colors and dark outlines. Others are lighter and airy, almost like faded preliminary sketches in an old drawing book that has sat in a museum’s archives for years. Both styles add to the feeling that this is a notebook constructed with a passion for the Great Lakes and its creatures.

 This book will appeal to those who enjoy bestiary-style guides such as “Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastic World Around You” or the goblin- and fairy-themed books of Brian Froud. It will be especially interesting to readers who live near the Great Lakes, and the mermaids’ will hopefully enkindle a deeper interest in these unique environments.

 You can get a copy on Bookshop.org.

Or on Amazon.

Learn more about the author at her website