Merdaddy

An ode to parent-child bonding, imagination, the ocean, and bath time! Perfectly pitched for even the youngest readers, Merdaddy is a sweet young picture book with a gentle, genuinely surprising twist that will charm fans of Oona and Julián Is a Mermaid.

Deep down under the sea live Merbaby and Merdaddy. They talk to the fish, have seaweed picnics, float with the jellyfish, hide with the otters, surf with the turtles, and save any hapless sailors who need help. The water is the best place Merbaby can imagine being . . . until Merdaddy says their fingers look like raisins and their teeth are chattering.

With bright watercolor-and-collage illustrations and a wonderful read-aloud text, Wednesday Kirwan dives into the vivid, sea-themed imagination of a young child. The gentle surprise—we’ve been playing in the bathtub all along!—will delight young children and their parents alike. Merdaddy is destined to become a classic bedtime book for every home.

Wednesday Kirwan has illustrated more than a dozen books for children, and her books as both author and illustrator include Owl Love You and Baby Bug. She began her career teaching science and art to preschoolers and is now a full-time artist. Her art has appeared on everything from billboards to bandages. She lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains with her husband and young daughter.