Five mermaids guide children on a whimsical singalong journey through the world’s oceans, counting down from 5 to 0. Includes educational notes about mermaid legends, marine animals, and the five oceans, as well as a catchy song and video animation to reinforce STEM learning. AGES: 3 to 7 AUTHOR: Sunny Scribens was born and raised outside Nashville, TN, and holds an M.A. in Classics from the University of Texas. She has written numerous titles for Barefoot Books, including several under the name Kate DePalma. Barbara Vagnozzi started drawing on the kitchen walls at a very early age. Her parents were not so keen on repainting, so they quickly introduced her to sketchbooks instead. After earning a degree in Modern History and working in Medieval Archeology she decided to become a professional illustrator. Since then, she has illustrated many picture books, published in Italy, UK, USA, Korea, New Zealand and more. Apart from illustrating, she hosts workshops and book presentations for primary school children and teachers. SELLING POINTS: . Mermaids are beloved by many children and sure to spark their curiosity. The endnotes include information about merfolk legends around the world to inspire interest in global mythology . Each spread showcases a different ocean, the characteristics of each ocean and types of animals that live there; each ocean has its own color palette and musical cues to reinforce its identity for children. Readers also practice counting down from 5 to 0 . The illustrations include characters who present as male, female, or gender-neutral, as well as an LGBTQ+ merfolk family. Each mermaid also has a name from a different culture, and the mermaids show a wide variety of skin tones . Six pages of endnotes offer more facts about the world’s oceans, mermaid mythology, and sea creatures . The bouncy, catchy tune is based on the familiar song Five Little Fishes and encourages participation. With text by Sunny Scribens, author of the bestsellers My Friend Robot! and Space Song Rocket Ride, Five Little Mermaids is a fresh STEM entry into a series celebrated for offering diverse and inclusive content, literacy benefits, and hours upon hours of musical mer-fun