Out Now: My Mom is A Mermaid! & My Dad is A Unicorn!

Illustrated by Jeff Harter and written by Bill Canterbury, this new three book series celebrates how ALL families are weird. The third book, My Teacher’s A Dinosaur! hits shelves in early June.

Mermaid Mom sings whale songs, never gets out of the bath, and tells really corny mom jokes (“How do mermaids send messages? By sea-mail!”). But when her daughter tags along with her to an underwater gig as a kids’ party clown, she learns how funny and how special her mer-mom really is.

Unicorn Dad gets his necktie stuck on his horn, fixes math homework with glitter, and is obsessed with his mane shampoo. But his day job is the coolest: battling trolls and goblins in magical lands. And his son gets to come along to help!

With page after page of jokes, puns, and visual gags, this story’s humor is perfect for families to read together.

My Mom Is A Mermaid! & My Dad Is A Unicorn! was published by Random House Children’s Books, on April 1, 2025. Get your copy here!

Check out Betsy Bird’s interview with the author, who says, “He’s [Jeff] so inventive and he’s always coming up with subtle easter eggs and quirky details.”

To work with Jeff, get in contact with their agent Susan Penny here.