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Narwhal and Jelly Book series.
Excited Narwhal can't decide which costume to wear for Halloween, while scared Jelly doesn't plan to participate. But when Jelly and their friends must "superfy" themselves to bravely rescue Narwhal from a "humongously hungry" sea monster (i.e., Narwhal in too many costume com[cf2boonations), that gives Narwhal the perfect costume idea for their Narwhalloween party...featuring waffles, of course. Humorous puns abound; the varied panel structure and dynamic character expressions in this graphic novel for transitional readers help build age-appropriate suspense. This entertaining eighth series entry includes three "story chapters" plus facts about potentially scary real-life creatures and a "Super Waffle, Strawberry Sidekick and the Bat Attack" comic interlude.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2023
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Narwhal and Jelly Book series.
According to Narwhal, 'tis the season when the Merry Mermicorn spreads "sheer cheer and pure awesomeness wherever she goes!" "The Mira-miny-what-a-corn?!" questions skeptical Jelly, who seeks the perfect present for Narwhal before learning that Narwhal's gift to his jellyfish friend isn't the six new mittens Jelly discovered...did the Merry Mermicorn leave them? Accessible, pun-tastic chapters in this fifth graphic novel for transitional readers feature entertaining supporting character cameos, humorous underwater holiday song adaptations, "Cool Facts" about the ocean and its creatures, and a silly original story by Narwhal and Jelly. Clanton's expressively drawn characters, and an additional splash of holiday red in the blue, yellow, and gray palette, provide extra cheer.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2020
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4-6
Checkerboard Library: Arctic Animals at Risk series.
Each of the species featured is under threat from the impacts of human activity, most importantly the cascading effects of climate change. The books describe each species and its habitat, the challenges it now faces, and what its extinction might mean. The books end on a positive note, highlighting efforts to save and protect the animals. Engaging photos and range maps are included. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Arctic Animals at Risk titles: Arctic Foxes, Harp Seals, Musk Oxen, Narwhals, and Polar Bears
199 pp.
| Disney-Hyperion
| January, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-368-00029-1$16.99
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Secrets of Topsea series.
Illustrated by
Rachel Sanson.
Ocean-loving, boat-building Talise stars in this second installment, with her schoolmates (including Davy from A Friendly Town That's Almost Always by the Ocean!) featured in their own chapters. Seemingly random nonsense--friendly spirits, uncertain ocean tides, a lost narwhal--once again develops into a thoughtful, entertaining story of friendship as the children grapple with fitting in but also being themselves in their wacky town.
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Narwhal and Jelly Book series.
In their third graphic novel, Narwhal and Jelly continue their absurdist underwater adventures. Jelly introduces waffle-loving Narwhal to peanut butter, causing a new obsession. Five short sections, including an insert of "delicious facts" and a comic-within-the-comic, offer bite-size segments for young readers. The limited palette of blue, gray, and yellow and the simply sketched but expressive characters add to the book's accessibility.
64 pp.
| Tundra
| May, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-101-91829-6$12.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-101-91830-2
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Narwhal and Jelly Book series.
In their second graphic novel for transitional readers, Narwhal and Jelly aspire to superhero status, donning costumes and assuming secret identities, but Narwhal has difficulty determining a superpower. Accessible text is complemented by engaging illustrations primarily in gray, aqua, and yellow. Three short chapters plus "super sea creatures" facts fit the audience, but an unfinished superhero comic "created by" the duo adds confusion and choppiness to the main story.
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Illustrated by
Hyewon Yum.
A goldfish-size narwhal languishes in the confines of a fishbowl. To cheer her up, her owner and three other children with their own unusual pets--giraffe, penguin, and bat--take her on a walk into town. Yum's cheery colored-pencil and gouache illustrations mitigate any sense of tragic captivity; the story culminates with a clever means of bringing broader glimpses of the world inside for the narwhal to enjoy.
40 pp.
| Simon
| February, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4814-6909-8$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4814-6910-4
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K-3
Kelp is a (diving helmet–wearing) unicorn born in the ocean among narwhals. He has always felt different but doesn't know why until he discovers the "mysterious, sparkling" land-based creatures (unicorns) whom he resembles. Kelp's journey of self-discovery requires suspension of disbelief, but the (rather flat) digital illustrations are full of visual jokes (e.g., a unicorn in floaties) that will have unicorn fans galloping for this book.
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Narwhal and Jelly Book series.
This first installment in a new transitional-reader/graphic-novel series shows the developing friendship between a narwhal and a jellyfish. Three short chapters feature offbeat humor in large, sparsely filled panels illustrated with colored pencil and digitally colored in a limited palette of mostly blue and yellow. Between the chapters, narwhal and jellyfish facts and a "narwhal song" extend the light mood.
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The platypus detectives undertake their fourth adventure fighting crime and political corruption in all-animal Kalamazoo City. This time, a narwhal appears to be on a crime spree and the panda mayor is secretly working against the police. While the dialogue and setting echo old-fashioned noir tropes, the numerous black-and-white cartoon drawings should draw in fans of Krosoczka's popular Lunch Lady graphic novels.