The Blurb On The Back:

Do you like waffles?  They’re pretty much amazing.  Just like this book!

I wouldn’t pour syrup on it, though.  That would make it hard to read.

It’s full of awesome stuff like a sea monkey and a robot and … waffles of course.

Yum!  Waffles!  

You can order Narwhal – Unicorn Of The Sea by Ben Clanton from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

The Review (Cut For Spoilers):

When Narwhal finds himself swimming into unfamiliar waters, he meets Jellyfish.  Neither is sure if the other is real or not, but Narwhal is comfortable in his awesomness and Jellyfish is pleased to have a new friend – but will that friendship survive when Narwhal decides to make their pod of friends a little larger?

Ben Clanton’s charming self-illustrated picture book for children aged 5+ (the first in a series) is a cute story about friendship, envy and imagination and includes some cool facts about narwhals and jellyfish such that both adults and kids will get a kick out of it.

There isn’t a huge amount to say about the story, which is about Narwhal and Jellyfish meeting and then Jellyfish being a little jealous when Narwhal invites other creatures to join his pod. The illustrations are deceptively simple but still convey a strong sense of character – Narwhal, confident to the point of being a little full of himself and oblivious of the feelings of others, Jellyfish a little more uncertain and hurt when he thinks he’s being ignored.

There’s a lot of humour in the story – I liked the panels where the various members of Narwhal’s new pod put on their narwhal horns and where Narwhal and Jellyfish imagine a waffle taking on a giant robot in a fight – but Clanton also incorporates some handy facts about both animals, which highlight what fascinating species they are (and which certainly taught me something new).

All in all, I think there’s enough here for the target audience and any adults to enjoy and I look forward to reading more of Narwhal’s and Jelly’s adventures.

NARWHAL – UNICORN OF THE SEA was released in the United Kingdom on 2^nd May 2019.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.