#blogbookaday: Not Quite Narwhal

Summary:  “In the tradition of Uni the Unicorn and Gaston, this heartwarming and adorable debut picture book tells the story of a young unicorn who was born under the sea to a family of narwhals.
Growing up in the ocean, Kelp has always assumed that he was a narwhal like the rest of his family. Sure, he’s always been a little bit different—his tusk isn’t as long, he’s not as good of a swimmer, and he really doesn’t enjoy the cuisine. Then one night, an extra strong current sweeps Kelp to the surface, where he spots a mysterious creature that looks just like him! Kelp discovers that he and the creature are actually unicorns. The revelation leaves him torn: is he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? But perhaps, if Kelp is clever, he may find a way to have the best of both worlds.

Told with heartwarming illustrations and spare, sweet text, Jessie Sima’s debut picture book is about fitting in, standing out, and the all-encompassing love of family.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review: I think this is the sweetest story of a unicorn searching for a place to fit in, while still knowing that they are loved by the friends and family they have. The pastel colors in the illustrations definitely lend themselves to the unicorn mindset of pinks, purples and teals. And also go perfectly with a pretty underwater scene as well. Narwhal books are gaining a lot of ground within the past year or so and it’s fun to see how everyone has their own unique spin on them. This is a sweet title, with a sweet main character who learns about the power of love.

Personal Reaction: What I liked most was that even though Kelp didn’t feel like they fit in because they looked different from the other narwhals in the ocean, they realized that even when you find unicorns that look just like you, you can still have family and friends that don’t look  like you at all. This is a concept that many kids struggle with as they find their place in their friend group or perhaps even within their own family, but I think that what’s important in this story is that Kelp’s narwhal friends and family weren’t going to give up on them just because Kelp looked differently and I hope kids can understand that concept as well.

Title: Not Quite Narwhal
Author: Jessie Sima
Illustrator: Jessie Sima
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 14 ,2017

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!